Thailand beyond solo backpacking

Monday, September 2, 2013

Night at That Luang Festival

That Luang Festival coincide with the full moon night of 12th lunar month on Wednesday,the 28th Novemebr 2012.
The next full moon will be on Sunday the 17th November 2013 and travelers to Chiangmai can witness the Yi Peng Festival while in Bangkok will be the Loy Krathong Festival.

That Luang Festival is a very grand Buddhist celebration in Vientiane,Laos PDR and the surrounding That Luang Park will also host the traditional trade fairs.food fairs as well as musical and cultural stage shows.

The statue of King Setthathirat before the main entrance of the sixteenth century old Pha That Luang was quite an attraction with many visitors never missed having a photographic session here.
The late King Sai was the architect behind the construction of the grand stupa.

Main entrance arch into the Pha That Luang.
On the eve of the festival,huge crowds of Buddhist devotees were already gathering to perform their annual pilgrimage.

Interestingly the securities personnel manning all entry and exit point to the sacred Pha That Luang Temple were Lao university students ensuring that the crowds behave orderly and do not carry any harmful belongings.This include body search as well.

That Luang Park is quite a huge compound and during the festival days,the place was specifically used as a Trade Fair ground.

Scene similar to a night market but this is the biggest so far in Vientiane.

Crowds near the garment section.
Garments in Laos is currently the single biggest manufactured export of the country supported by close to a hundred garment factories spread across the country.
Laos joined the World Trade Organization (W.T.O) in early 2013
sourcing:
1)PV Garment Co Ltd
2)Vision Manufacturing Co.
3)Shinawatra Garments Laos Co ltd
4) Hi-Tech Apparel Co Ltd
5) Midori Anzen

Akhom Trading Company,an import and export business entity exhibiting some of the locally manufactured products.

The annual event trade fair at That Luang is in collaboration with the Lao International Trade and Convention Center.

Lao Telecom ,the main mobile phone operator in Laos operated a classic booth at the That Luang Festival Trade Fair giving out free gifts to visitors.
International access code to Laos is +856.
Area code for Vientiane is 021.
When calling to landlines,the first digit 0 is omitted whereas mobile lines code 020 is inclusive.

Shinawatra Garments Laos Co. Ltd.

Wednesday, August 14, 2013

Buddhist artifacts at Pha That Luang.

Historical relics of damaged Buddhist sculptures located at the northern end of inner cloister at Pha That Luang.

Pha That Luang has been attacked by Burmese invaders in the 16th century as well as by the Siamese during 18th century and the temple is always the main target of looting and indiscriminate destruction.

Laos was once influenced by the Khmer civilization largely of Indian cultural origin.

King Jayavoraman VII was the ruler of ancient Cham Kingdom.

The Pha That Luang Stupa,the most important Buddhist Temple in Vientiane and national symbol of Laos.

The grand stupa is surrounded by thirty smaller stupas with ashes of Lord Buddha inside.

Beneath the grand stupa lies a smaller pyramid stupa believed to be part of a Hindu Temple which during the early centuries was partly ruled by the Khmer Empire.

Sunday, August 11, 2013

World Peace Gong at Patuxay Park.

Patuxay Monument Arch

World Peace Gong,presented to the Government of the Lao People's Democratic Republic.

By the World Peace Committee of the Republic of Indonesia on the 22nd November 2008.

World Peace Gong was first sounded in Bali on the 31 December 2002 by the President of the Republic of Indonesia ,H.E Mrs Megawati Soekarnoputri announcing Indonesia Peace Year 2003.

World Peace Gong (Indonesian:Gong Perdamaian Dunia).

Specially crafted and made from teak wood in the small town of Jepara in Central Java Island ,Indonesia.
Kota Jepara is located north east of Semarang City.(capital of Central Java)
Jepara town is renowned for the teak wood furniture carving industry.

World Peace Gong, facilitating unification of mankind on planet earth through universal disarmament,sovereignty and independence and peace.

^{World Peace Gong is the fruit of Indonesian youth who were concerned with the irresponsible attitudes and behavior disregarding human values.They were inspired by the devastating Bali year 2002 bombs in the midst of tranquility.}

^{The 'Gong' is interpreted as the echo of explosion ending the rhythm and sounds of war.}

^{The sound of Gong in times of peace should incite togetherness such that with fresh and refreshed heart we can solve common problems,as the sound of Gong at the beginning of joyous events could signify.}
^{The sound of Gong signals the beginning of profound event with noble ideas.}
^{The sound of the Gong accompanied by ovations signifies the happy beginning of long awaited effort.}
^{Following the striking of the Gong,all deliberations and activities will be conducted in peace,with hopes of resultant happiness and prosperity for all.The reverberations of the Gong accompanied by ovations symbolizes that all will proceed well and peacefully.}