One of the trademarks of Laos is the diversity of its people and
cultures. There are a number of traditional arts and crafts that
represent their way of life.
Lao has a rich cultural heritage with religious art and architecture forming the cornerstone of artistic traditions.There exists across the country a plethora of distinctive monuments
and architectural styles. One of the most notable structures is the That
Luang, the great Sacred Stupa, in Vientiane. Its dome-like stupa and
four-cornered superstructure is the model for similar monuments across
Laos. Stupas serve to commemorate the life of the Buddha and many stupas
are said to house sacred Buddha relics (parts of Buddha s
body).Generally, Hinayana Buddhists cremate the dead body and then place
the bones in the stupa, which are set around the grounds of temples, or
wats. Different styles of architecture are evident in the numerous
Buddhist Wats. Three architectural styles can be distinguished,
corresponding to the geographical location of the temples and
monasteries. Wats built in Vientiane are large rectangular structures
constructed of brick and covered with stucco and high-peaked roofs. In
Luang Prabang the roofs sweep very low and, unlike in Vientiane, almost
reach the ground. These two styles are different from the wats of Xieng
Khouang where the temple roofs are not tiered.
Tuesday, June 26, 2012
Monday, June 25, 2012
Laos Food An introduction to Lao Food
Lao food is distinct from other Asia cuisines, although it is somewhat
similar to the food found in the northeastern part of Thailand in the
area known as Isan.
Most Lao dishes contain vegetables and herbs, rice or noodles and fish,
chicken, pork or beef. The freshness of the ingredients is very important
to Lao people who like to prepare everything from scratch, rather than
use pre-prepared ingredients, as they believe this makes their food
more delicious. Herbs such as galangal and lemongrass are favourites
and padaek (Lao fish sauce) is found on every table.
Laos Money
What Lao money looks like, what it's called ...
Laos uses the Lao Kip (LAK) as its currency.
The bank notes (see pictures on the right) currently in circulations
are 500, 1,000, 2,000, 5,000, 10,000, 20,000, and 50,000 Kip. No coins
are currently in use in Laos.
Many websites refer to the unit of Laos money as "New Kip".
This maybe because the Lao Kip has been through some changes in recent
times, see history of Lao Kip below.
Sunday, June 24, 2012
Tourist Guide Champassak
Champassak is a small town situated in southern Laos, almost 40 km to the south of Pakxe. This town includes many guesthouses that caters to the tourists and are of cheap budget price where one can see a relaxing place along the beautiful river bank.
Tourist Guide Savannakhet
Savannakhet can be referred to as one of the provinces located in ‘Laos’. The name ‘Savannakhet’ has been derived from the following words: ‘Savanh Nakhone’; meaning ‘city of paradise’. This is, in fact, the original name of the province.
Tourist Guide Luang prabang
Tourist Guide Luang prabang
Luang Prabang can be referred to as one of the cities situated in north-central part of Laos, on Mekong River, at a distance of around 425 Km towards the northern side of Vientiane.
Vacations Vientiane - Laos
Vientiane is one of the calmest and relaxed cities in Asia and it is situated in a fertile place near the Mekong River.
In 1563 Vientiane was made the capital of the Kingdom of Lane Xang by King Setthathirat. The two main Wats of Vientiane go back to that period and they are Wat That Luang and Wat Phra Kaeo.
In 1827 Vientiane had been conquered and sacked by a Siamese army. For decades the town lay in ruins until the French reconstructed it at the beginning of their colonial reign.
In 1563 Vientiane was made the capital of the Kingdom of Lane Xang by King Setthathirat. The two main Wats of Vientiane go back to that period and they are Wat That Luang and Wat Phra Kaeo.
In 1827 Vientiane had been conquered and sacked by a Siamese army. For decades the town lay in ruins until the French reconstructed it at the beginning of their colonial reign.
With a population of hardly about half a million inhabitants, Vientiane is one of the smallest capitals in Southeast Asia.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)