Laos culture

Laos culture people food and festivals 

Laos is quite traditional and conservative country. Despite globalization and modernization, Lao culture is still profoundly influenced by Buddhism which put effect on Laotians' thinking, attitude and behavior. It can be said that Buddhist philosophies set up the Laotians' lifestyle.

Laotians are truly people of heart. It is strongly proved in their language. There are few dozens words which have rooted from "chai" (means Heart) such as khao chai (to understand is to enter the heart),souk chai( to be happy),  chai bolisud (to be honest is to have a pure heart). They are truly and extremely kind-hearted, friendly and helpful.

Amazingly, Laotians have rich sense of humor, perhaps one of richest. Laotians love "small talk", they love listening to petty things in others’ lives. Tourists who think that their life is too boring to talk about will be encouraged to talk and Laotians will make your boring life become a comic just by talking in other ways. For example, a foreigner was purchasing barbecued heart at a small roadside stand and asked what animal it was.  "Human" was the answer.  But the female foreigner, poker-faced responded to the female vendor, "Well I hope it wasn't a male since men's hearts are always much more bitter." "Fighting" with words is an art form among the Lao

History of Laos

In ancient history, Laos was a collection of scattered tribal communities and little written record of this early period survives. Most of what we know follows the Chinese invasion of Laos during the 4th and 5th centuries. After the Chinese, the next foreign power to gain influence over Laos was the Hindu Khmer Empire, which spread across the country before founding its capital at Angkor in neighbouring Cambodia.

During this period, the previously dominant Chinese were displaced by a massive influx of ethnic Tai peoples from Thailand and Hinduism slowly gave way to Buddhism. The Khmer Empire eventually collapsed into warring city-states, paving the way for the independent kingdom of Lan Xang, founded in 1353 at Luang Prabang.

Populated by a mixture of ethnic Laos, Thais and various hill tribes, the Lan Xang Empire lasted for three centuries, fighting off successive invasion attempts from Vietnam, Siam (Thailand) and Burma. Internal power struggles in the 18th century were exploited by its neighbours, notably Thailand, which finally conquered Vientiane in 1779, absorbing southern Laos into the Kingdom of Siam.

Laos Culture

Religion: 

The majority of the Lao people are Buddhists. The Laos-Lum (Valley Laos) people follow the Hinayana(Theravada) form of Buddhism. The religions of the Laos-Theung (Laos of the mountain tops) range from traditional Confucianism to animism and Christianity.

Social conventions: 

Religious beliefs should be respected. Lao people should not be touched on the head and women should not touch monks. Handshaking is not that usual; Lao people greet each other with their palms together and a slight bowing of the head. Take care when discussing politics and related subjects in conversation so as not to cause offence.

Laos is a Buddhist country and guests should dress accordingly. Shorts or revealing clothes are never acceptable. For women, sarongs work well in the heat as do long-sleeved light cotton shirts. Shoes must be removed when entering a religious building or somebody's home. It is a legal requirement to carry an ID document or a passport, and fines for not having one for presentation on demand can be high. The Lao government prohibits sexual relationships, including sexual contact between foreign citizens and Lao nationals, except when the two parties have been married in accordance with Lao family law. Penalties for failing to register a relationship range from fines to imprisonment.