Anou Savari festival in Nong Khai

Once a year comes the sleepy little town Nong Khai, in the north of Thailand on the border with Laos, to life. That is when the annual Anou Savari Festival takes place, an event commemorating the victory over the "Ho" rebels from Yunnan, China.

Although that happened more than a century ago, a multi-day commemoration is still organized every March to remember the courage and sacrifice of the Siamese soldiers who contributed to the rescue of Siam. They lost their lives in the fight against the aggressor for the restoration of peace.

The festival takes place every year from 5 to 15 March. In this way, the present generation must realize its involvement with the past and its responsibility for maintaining peace for the future. In a sound and light show that began in 2010, the local government has sought to keep the historical events alive and give both locals and visitors the opportunity to learn about Siamese history.

History

The festival is based on the following historical events: In 1877, during the governorship of Pra Nakhon Devapiban, Nong Khai was threatened by attacks by Chinese “Ho” rebels advancing from the direction of Vientiane in Laos. Recognizing the danger to these rebels in China's Yunnan province, Thai King Chulalongkorn (Rama V) then sent troops under the command of Phraya Maha Ammart to the area to drive out the aggressors. These forces succeeded in inflicting a significant defeat on the rebels in the jungle around Nong Khai.

However, at least two other incidents occurred during this king's reign, in which multiple Siamese cities were attacked. With their raids they even reached Korat (Nakhon Ratchasima), so that the king again decided to mount an expedition against the rebels. Fierce fighting took place, but eventually the Siamese soldiers, this time under the command of HRH Kromamune Prachak Silikom, managed to drive out the invaders, albeit with the help of Chinese and Laotian troops. They retreated to Laos in the areas around Chiang Kwang Tung and Chiang Khum, but were later attacked there again by the united armies. At the cost of many lives on both sides in fierce fighting, the aggressive “Ho” rebels were finally defeated.

Monument

In order to commemorate the victory permanently, King Rama V had a monument erected in 1886. The Pra Ho Memorial keeps the ashes of soldiers of various units, such as the Grand Palace Regiment, Artillery Regiment and the Farang Rifles Regiment. It was renovated in 1949, with the monument on its square plinth being inscribed in Thai, Chinese, Laotian and English.

Sound and light show

At this monument in the large open space in front of the town hall, during the festival at eight o'clock in the evening, small colorful performances depict the events of those years: the siege by the rebels, the victorious battle against the invaders, the collection of the winning Thai soldiers and the allies and finally the restoration of Thai culture through traditional Thai dancers.

City festival

In addition to the more or less official commemorations, a large street festival also takes place in Nong Khai. The whole city is in a festive mood, of course there are numerous stalls for sale, from flowers to furniture, and various mobile food stalls provide for the inner man. A Thai party without food and drink is of course unthinkable. Artists from the region perform on several stages (it seems to produce deafening noise for days on end) and all kinds of competitions take place, such as a “song festival” and a “takraw” tournament, a type of volleyball played with the feet.

Mut Mee Guest House

If you want to visit Nong Khai during this Festival, check out the wonderful Mut Mee Guest House website. On that website, the splendor and charm of the area is described very nicely and it also has a connection with the battle of yesteryear. The house was originally commissioned by HRH Kromamune Prachak Silikom for his favorite mistress. It stands on what was the original border crossing over the Mekong River from Thailand to Laos. There she could watch all who came and went. She invited visitors to make offerings to her spirit houses, which were dedicated to two drowned Lao princesses, Jao Mare Song Nam, but now act as guardian angels to protect all who crossed the river. In this way she also heard all kinds of gossip, but also information about the battle.