Yasothon province covers the broad
valley of the Mae Nam Chi just 100 km before it joins the
Mun River on the outskirts of Ubon Ratchathani. Once a district
of Ubon Ratchathani, Yasothon became a province in 1972. The
provincial town on Highway 23 is famous for the Bun Bong Fai
or Rocket Festival held each year in early May.
This small province has a large Muslim population.
Traveling
the heartland route from Khon Kaen, Yasothon is the far south-eastern
point bordering on Ubon Ratchathani.
Yasothon Attractions: Phra That Yasothon
or Phra That Phra Anon is in Wat Maha That Yasothon
in Muang district. 1,300 year old chedi spire resembles Phra
That Phanom in Nakhon Phanom. Relics of Phra Anon, the closest
disciple of the Lord Buddha, are kept here, and a festival
to honour the Chedi occurs in March. The century-old scripture
hall with its library is built on stilts in the middle of
a pond.
The nine-acre Phaya Thaen Public Garden on Chaeng Sanit
Road in the town itself is a community park where concerts
and plays are hosted. Boat racing, Songkran festivities and
events like the "Bun Bong Fai" Rocket Festival also are staged
here.
The Phra That Kong Khao Noi at Ban Tat Thong is a distinctive
brick pagoda dating back to the late Ayutthaya period (18
century).
Dong Muang Toey near the village of ban Song Puay in
Kham Kuan Keao district is the site of a community believed
to have originated around the 6th century. The ruins of a
building at the site bear words which indicate that it was
a Brahman shrine. Mae Nam Chee Beach is a 2 km stretch of sand banks
at the edge of the Chi River. The area is exposed as the river
recedes during the dry season from December to May. Vendors
set up food stalls and the sand bank transforms into an Isan
style beach.
Phu Tham Phra, 16 km from Loeng Nok Tha district, is
a famous cave that contains several Buddha images. Other notable
caves include Kheng Ngu Chuang, Kliang and Phrom Butr.
Phu Thang Kwian, a rocky peak in the Phu Phan Mountains,
24 km from Kut Chum district, offers a spectacular view of
the surrounding country.
Ban Si Than Pa Tiu district, 20 km east of Yasothon
on Highway 202, isnoted for its handicrafts - khid cloth and
triangle-shaped mawh kwan pillows.
Bun Bong Fa or Rocket Festival is held throughout Isan
in early May, but is at its best in Yasothon where the town
turns the ceremony into a two-day celebration. Held to induce
the gods to send rain, the traditional giant rockets are fired
into the sky to herald the start of rice planting.
A contest for the best rocket is held one day prior to the
launching. Fireworks display, parades and beauty contests
have also been added to make this festival one of the most
colourful in Isan.
