Rows of clay pot lanterns lined the streets as devotees held a religious festival in Thailand.

More than 10,000 candles in clay containers illuminated Chiang Mai in the north of the country to honour the Buddha during the Yi Peng lantern festival on November 7.

To mark the three-day celebration, locals placed candles around the Chiang Mai city gates and in front of the Lanna Folklife Museum courtyard.

The event is also seen to attract tourists as the country eases pandemic restrictions.

The Yi Peng festival is celebrated on the full moon of the 12th month of the Thai lunar calendar.

During the festivities, locals release paper lanterns into the sky, dotting it with beautiful ethereal lights. The act symbolises letting go of misfortune and bad luck while welcoming the coming year.

Yi Peng also coincides with a similar festival called Loy Krathong, which involves floating lanterns along bodies of water to pay tribute to the water goddess Kong Ka. As such, the two events are often held in tandem.