Laos Culture

People who travel in Laos should have an understanding of its different cultures, customs and practices so that they can travel to know the world, feel life and gain a deep enough travel experience.

Religions

Laos is a country where Hinayana Buddhism is the main religion and over 90% of the population is Buddhist. The influence of Buddhism permeates the daily life of the Lao people, and many customs and rituals are closely related to Buddhism.

Traditional Costume

The clothing of Lao nationality has a natural connection with the geography and climate of Laos. Laos is located in the latitude of the transition from tropical to subtropical, and the year is divided into two seasons: the lowest temperature in the dry season is about 20 degrees, and the highest temperature in the rainy season can reach 40 degrees, with a large temperature difference between day and night. The rainy season is from March to September, with abundant precipitation, while the dry season is from October to February, with sparse precipitation. The Mekong River, which runs through the north and south of Laos, enters its dry season, with the flow shrinking and sandbars appearing. Because of this climate, Laotians dress in a monotonous fashion.

For most of the year, adult Laotian men usually wear long-sleeved shirts with long pants underneath, and women wear long-sleeved tunics with ethnic-style tube skirts underneath. Because of the strong ultraviolet rays, many Laotians wrap themselves up tightly even in hot weather. However, this does not change the darker skin tones of the Lao people.

Lao women generally have multiple formal wear outfits in fabrics that clearly appear to be hand-woven. Ladies' formal wear is colorful, with elaborate folkloric patterns and beaded jewelry, giving it a rustic, dignified feel. The formal wear of young ladies is colorful, with goose yellow, orange, pink and light purple as the main colors; the formal wear of middle-aged and old ladies favors dark purple, coffee, dark green, dark blue and other colors. Lao people will definitely attend the gathering in formal wear, changing their usual casual attire.

In addition to the ethnic style, uniforms are also a beautiful sight in Laos. There are three main categories of people who wear uniforms: students, civil servants at the county level and above, and a few employees of large companies. Students' uniforms are mostly light blue or white shirts, black western-style pants for boys, and blue tube skirts with lace for girls; civil servants' uniforms are generally in line with the colors of different departments and have corresponding badges and armbands; at the time of going to and coming from school or going to and coming from work, students and employees wearing uniforms walk in groups in the countryside and towns, looking extra spirited. Although they are uniforms, they are not dull at all.

In the rural and remote mountainous areas, Lao people mostly wear their own sewn traditional costumes, while in the more developed towns, people's dress has become commercialized and internationalized. In Laos, the national costume of the Lao Long people is similar to that of the Dai people in Xishuangbanna, Yunnan Province, China, with men wearing collarless lapel tops and sarong-style pants or long, wide-legged pants underneath, and women wearing collarless slouchy tops with tube skirts. During New Year's Eve and festivals or major celebrations, Lao women wear their hair in a high bun and ethnic costumes; Lao men wear more Western-style formal dress and fewer men wear ethnic costumes.

Ethnic Groups in Laos

Laos is a multi-ethnic country with 49 ethnic groups belonging to four major language families, namely Lao-Thai, Mon-Khmer, Sino-Tibetan, and Miao-Yao. The Lao are the main ethnic group in Laos and belong to the Lao-Thai language family, accounting for 52% of the population.

Lao-Thai: Tai Lao, Tai, Phu Tai, Tai Nhuan, Tai Yang, Tai Lue, Tai Saek and Tai Nue
Mon-Khmer: Arak, Khmu, Pray, Xiangmon, Oudu, Lamet, Samdao, Katang, Makong, Tri, Taoy, Yru, Tricng, Brao, Kadu, Oy, Krieng, Sedang, Nhahun, Lavy, Pakoh, Khmer, Toum, Kri, Ngun, Bid, Phong, Nheg, Moy, Cheng and Suoi
Sino-Tibetan: Pana, Aka, Lahu, Sila, Hani, Lolo, Phunoi and Ho
Miao-Yao: Hmong and Yao

History

In 1353, the establishment of the Kingdom of Lancang was the heyday of Lao history. In 1893, the Kingdom of Lancang fell under French protectorate, in September 1940, it was occupied by Japan, and on October 12, 1945, it was declared independent. In 1946, France invaded again. In July 1954, the five-nation diplomatic conference of the Soviet Union, the United States, Britain, France and China, the participating countries signed the Geneva agreement on the restoration of peace in Indochina. In 1962, the Geneva Agreement on Laos was signed, and a coalition government was formed with Prince Fouma as Prime Minister and Prince Souphanouvong as Deputy Prime Minister. on December 2, 1975, the monarchy was abolished and the Lao People's Democratic Republic was established.

Villages

Museums

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