BeLOVED SONS

Every year in April, the a small town in Northern Thailand celebrates Poy Sang Lon, the festival of the Beloved Sons. The religious three day event is a Shan (Tai Yai) tradition. It is marked by family reunions, prayers, dances, processions celebrating the ordination of young boys aged 8 to 14. The significance of Poi Sang Long lies in the reenactment of Prince Siddhartha's renouncement of his lavish royal life to seek enlightenment. The young boys, aged 8 to 14 are treated like royalty before they assume the simple life of a monk.The religious festival takes place in Mae Hong Son, a small town lying on the Burmese border. 

Mae Hong Son, April 2025

Film 35mm, 120