Laos: the capital, attractions, general information

The Lao People's Democratic Republic, or simply Laos, is a country in the South-East Asia. This state borders with Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, China and Myanmar. Laos covers an area of 236,800 km ² . In 2005, its population was almost six million people. Among tourists this is not a very popular direction, but absolutely in vain. After all, the state has a lot of interesting places to visit. You will find a lot of exciting excursions, unusual entertainment and fantastic nature.

History of Lao People's Education

Since the XIV century, gradually formed the state of Laos. It was always inhabited by migratory tribes such as Lao, Thais, Siam and others, as well as the mountain warrior tribes of Mien and Hmong. In the fourteenth century, the commander Pha Ngum formed a single kingdom called Lang Sang Hom Khao. This monarchy consisted of scattered powers, located near Luang Prabang. The new kingdom existed until the 17th century. Then it disintegrated. Already at the end of the next century, most of the state of Laos (general information presented in our article) fell under the palm of Thai rule.

At the end of the XIX century, Laos became part of French Indochina. And only in the summer of 1949 he managed to get rid of the influence of this empire. But another misfortune came in the face of the United States of America, which began bombarding the east of the country in 1964. And only after ten years of attack ceased.

Culture and Entertainment of Laos

Laos (the capital city of Vientiane) is a country with an amazing culture. It is represented by folk crafts, sculpture, traditional dances and music, as well as painting. The main types of sculptures are monuments dedicated to the Buddha. For their sculpture use wood, stone and bronze. Also, masters often depict various monstrosities characteristic of the mythology of India.

Buddha is often present in painting. In addition, artists have always been engaged in drawing scenes from the "Ramayana" - the Indian epic. Modern painters and sculptors of Laos, along with classical Buddhist stories, create works that reflect the beauty of nature and folk life.

If you like active leisure, then Laos (the capital indicated above) will provide you with all opportunities for this. After all, here you can do cycling, trekking and rafting. And in the case when a tourist is a fan of exotic and unconventional pastime, then to his services tubing - an alloy on the reservoirs on the inflatable chamber, speleology or zip-linning. This is an incredibly amazing activity: in the jungle, in the trees - at a height of 37 meters - 23 platforms are mounted. Between them stretched strong ropes of steel. Travelers are attached to them using a special device. The length of the rope reaches almost one meter, and the distance between the platforms is 180 meters. So try to make such a walk!

What to see

In addition to entertainment, the country is rich in various architectural masterpieces. So, Laos, whose attractions are not world-famous monuments, still deserve that its long-standing cultural places were inspected by the guests of the country.

First of all, I would like to mention the camp of elephants. Laos called the state of the millions of these giants. Animals work on a par with people: they help to cultivate fields, build houses, travel long distances and much more. In the above-mentioned camp, travelers have the opportunity to communicate with these unsurpassed creatures, take a walk through the jungle on horseback on elephants and feed the pets. And if you have a chance to visit Laos in February, then you will definitely get to a grandiose event - the Elephants Festival. Thousands of people annually gather in the county of Paklai, to admire the huge participants. Go to this corner of the globe can be without problems today, because a visa to Laos is inexpensive and paid immediately upon arrival in the country. And if you plan to stay in the state for less than 15 days, then you do not need it at all.

Monastery of the Kings

Wat Xyeng Thong ("City of Golden Temples") - this is the name of the royal monastery, decorated with mosaics and frescoes. It is the largest monastery in the state, and it is in Luang Prabang. The cult building was built in 1560. From that time it practically did not change. The temple building is a representative of the traditional temple culture of Laos. It can be characterized as follows: gradually bending, the roof slopes descend almost to the ground. The rear red wall of Wat Xyeng Thong is decorated with images of different animals and birds lined with mosaic. In the temple itself is a rare statue of a reclining Buddha. Laos (its attractions deserve attention!) Will always offer its guests to visit interesting places, even if not so famous as Stonehenge or Leaning Tower of Pisa, but still amazing and unsurpassed in its grandeur and beauty.

Blood and the moon

Rectangular cloth with three horizontal stripes and a circle in the middle - this is the flag of Laos. The upper and lower strips are painted red, symbolizing the blood of victims who sacrificed their lives for the independence of the country. The middle, largest, strip has a blue color, which became the embodiment of the resources of Laos. In the center of the blue field is a huge white circle. He became the symbol of the moon that rises above the Mekong River.

On December 2, 1975, the flag of Laos received its legal approval. Such a composition of the canvas was proposed in the second half of the 50-ies of the last century. But the people needed to achieve their independence, so that this symbol of the state had the right to exist.

Main city

The capital of Laos is Vientiane, and we have already mentioned this. I would like to talk a little about this wonderful place. Its name translates as "sandalwood town". Vientiane is considered the main financial center of the whole power. It is inhabited by about two hundred thousand people.

The city was founded by King Setthathirath in 1560. At that time, the settlement was also the capital, only not of Laos, but of a country called Lang Sang. This state ceased to exist in 1707. At the same time, Vientiane becomes an independent kingdom. In 1779, the settlement was completely destroyed by the Siamese army. And in 1899 he became the capital of Laos.

In Vientiane, both in Paris

Laos (the capital indicated above) has a small similarity with France. More precisely, some coincidence can be seen in the main cities of these countries. So, Paris boasts the world famous Triumphal Arch, and Vientiane - the Triumphal Arch of Patusay, which somewhat resembles its French "colleague". There is a landmark on the main street of Laos capital - Langsang Avenue. The facility was built in honor of those residents of the country who died in the war for its independence from France.

Strangely enough, but Patusay was built on the money of the French government. The design has four entrances, and its small turrets are crowned. The arch is decorated with a pattern consisting of lotus flowers, and its ceiling is painted with blue paint and painted with images of elephants, buddhas and warriors. From the observation platform on the top of the Arc de Triomphe, you can view the whole city and its surroundings. There is a belief that if you buy a cage with a bird in a small shop nearby and, standing on top of a structure, release a feathered creature at will and make a wish, it will certainly come true.

Buddha Park

Laos, whose capital is a kind of Buddha temple, offers its guests to visit another attraction, located in Vientiane. This is Buddha Park. True, the object was not located in the city itself, but in its surroundings. The park has small dimensions: 200x70 meters. To view all the sculptures located very close to one another, it is possible in one hour. All sculptures are made of concrete and iron. Their author is a Buddhist artist and monk Bun Liua Surirat. This project was created in 1958.

And now for shopping!

That your family and friends did not doubt that you visited Laos, bring them souvenirs from this country. Usually tourists take samples of folk crafts. It can be fabrics, furniture, jewelry. Gifts can be bought in small ethnic shops and on the market. If you shop in the capital of the country, then they will have to pay more for them than in the provincial towns. But all the same, despite the significant difference in price (almost twice), the cost of souvenirs is not high.