Bon Odori-Lanna Exchange Festival held in Chiang Mai

CHIANG MAI, January 30 (TNA) - The Consulate General of Japan, in conjunction with the Japanese community in Thailand's northern resort Chiang Mai Province and the Chiang Mai Municipality on Sunday organized the Bon Odori-Lanna Exchange Festival 2012 at the Three Kings Monument in downtown Chiang Mai, drawing crowds of locals and international tourists. The event featured a balanced blend of Japanese, Thai cultural shows, namely the Sabudchai drum show, or the Lanna war drumming style, and the traditional Japanese Taiko drumming style, as well as a rock n’ roll music show played with Japanese-style guitar, samisen, and western-electric guitar. In addition, the Japanese community in Chiang Mai sang Japanese songs to express their appreciation to Thailand's relief support for people in Japan's Northeast who were affected by twin disasters of devastating earthquake tsunami last year. The show ended with the standard Thai traditional dance and the Japanese Bon Odori, or Bon Dance, aimed to deepen the two Asian countries’ relations and to promote Chiang Mai's tourism. (TNA)