By 2018 the umbrella centre's youngest craftsperson was 40
Related guide: Bo Sang Umbrella Festival 2027
A Bo Sang umbrella starts as a bamboo frame covered in sa, a paper made from mulberry bark, and only then goes to a painter. The village sits about 9 km east of Chiang Mai in San Kamphaeng district and holds its umbrella festival on the third weekend of January.
Nobody has a written record of how the craft began. The local story is that a monk named Kruba Intha was given an umbrella by a Burmese traveller near the border, tracked down the village that made it, learned the craft and brought it home, possibly as long as two centuries ago. Neighbouring villages used to make one part each and assemble them into a finished umbrella.
In 1977 Thavil Buacheen opened the Umbrella Making Centre in the village with 12 craftspeople. By the time Chiang Mai CityLife reported on it in 2018, it employed more than 100, and the youngest was already 40.
The 41st edition ran on 16–18 January 2026. The umbrella bicycle parade and the Miss Bo Sang Umbrella pageant are held every year, and the cyclists ride through the village holding paper umbrellas.
The full guide to this festival
Bo Sang Umbrella Festival 2027: expected 15–17 January in Bo Sang village near Chiang Mai
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