Magical scenes from the annual Bo Sang umbrella festival in Chiang Mai, northern Thailand. The event celebrates the centuries old local tradition of of making amazing sun umbrellas by hand. Residents have been producting the hand-made items for hundreds of years. They decorate the silk and bamboo umbrellas with beautiful hand-painted designs. The incredible decorations have earned them a reputation as the best umbrella makers in the world and their products are shipped to dozens of different countries. So each year villagers celebrate their tradition by lining the streets with bright, intricately decorated umbrellas, while local men and women dress up in traditional ancient costumes and ride bikes through town. The three-day festival attracts thousands of tourists who converge on the small town. According to local legend, locals began making the umbrellas centuries ago when a Buddhist monk from the area travelled to neighbouring Burma, returning to his home with the newly learned umbrella making technique.