Category Archives: Laos

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Hmong New Year celebrations

When we visited the Arts and Ethnology Museum we were told that the Hmong New Year celebrations would start on December 20 and were given vague directions.  On the 20th we rode our bikes up and down trails and tracks in the vicinity we were shown on the map – it was pretty interesting, but we didn’t find anything that would resemble a New Year celebration.

Today (21st) we rode our bikes in another direction and through some little villages – found some silk weaving workshops and paper making workshops – and on our way back to the hotel on the main road, some motor bikes passed us with people dressed in traditional costumes. Ahah! we pedaled frantically to follow them and FOUND the site of the Hmong New Year celebrations, which is essentially like a huge fairground with simple games, lots of food, lots of people and  very dusty! They were arriving in droves on motor bikes, in tuk-tuks, cars, pick up trucks and on foot!

The Hmong New Year celebration is a cultural celebration that takes place annually, generally at the end of harvest and is also  a celebration of thanksgiving; Hmong dress in traditional clothing and enjoy traditional foods, dance music, and other entertainment.

The Hmong ball tossing game is a common activity for young people. Boys and girls form two separate lines in pairs that are directly facing one another. Girls can ball toss with other girls or boys, but boys cannot ball toss with other boys. The pairs toss a cloth ball back and forth, until one member drops the ball. If a player drops or misses the ball, an ornament or item is given to the opposite player in the pair. Ornaments are recovered by singing love songs to the opposite player. I saw mostly girls tossing to girls, but it was in the morning and I suspect the young men show up later in the day.

 

 

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Around Luang Prabang

Luang Prabang is an extremely easy place to navigate and get around. By crossing the bamboo footbridge, we are close to the town center, a few blocks from the Mekong, and close to the tip of the peninsula. There is a lovely fusion of asian and colonial architecture and the town is well preserved and maintained. Sidewalks and relatively little traffic make for easy sightseeing.

The many pagodas or “Vat” in Luang Prabang, which are considered to be among the most sophisticated Buddhist temples in Southeast Asia, are richly decorated.  The 16thC Wat Xieng Thong comprises a number of the most complex and beautiful structures of all the pagodas of the town.

Located in northern Laos, and surrounded by lush, green mountains, the town was built on a peninsula formed by the Mekong and Nam Khan River. Legends related to the creation of the city include one that the Buddha “would have smiled when he rested there during his travels, prophesying that it would one day be the site of a rich and powerful city.” Luang Prabang (“Royal Buddha Image”) has a long history dating back to the 7th century. From the 14th to 16th century Luang Prabang was, in fact, the capital (known as Xieng Thong)  of the powerful kingdom of Lane Xang (Kingdom of a Million Elephants). Its strategic location on the Silk Route wielded wealth and influence in those times. After the colonization by the french in 1893, Luang Prabang once again became the royal and religious capital, and remained so until Ventiane became the administrative capital in 1946 following their independence in 1945.

 

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Alms giving ceremony – Tak Bat

We set the alarm for 5.10 a.m. and crossed the bamboo bridge to town in darkness to  observe the daily alms giving ceremony that takes place at sunrise. It begins on the main street in Luang Prabang and the monks and novices spread out to all the side streets, walking silently in single file. Offerings of rice, fruit, and traditional sweet snacks are available for purchase and visitors are encouraged to participate. The idea of the alms giving is for the Buddhist monks to collect food for their one meal of the day. So thankful we could see the sight of these saffron robed humans taking part in a daily ritual.

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Lao fondue

We spent the day wandering the streets of Luang Prabang. What a delightful little town this is, and so manageable on foot. Exactly what we were hoping for after our fast paced tour of Myanmar and Siem Reap.

Our hotel, My Dream, is a grouping of lovely timber built structures on the “other” (south) side of the Nam Khan River ( a tributary of the Mekong which flows on the northern side of Luang Prabang). We can take a rickety bamboo footbridge to the main part of town.

Nearby the footbridge we discovered a little restaurant (Dyen Sabei) where we went for dinner this evening and had Lao Fondue. They bring out a bucket full of red hot coals and then place a round rimmed griddle type thing over the coals. A kettle of broth, a bowl of raw vegetables, a lump of fat, dishes with tamarind paste, hot chilies, raw garlic, an egg, noodles and meat of choice – we had buffalo. It was delicious!!!!