Living Laos: That Luang Festival

Last Wednesday (the November full moon) was the culmination of the That Luang Festival here in Vientiane. Pha That Luang is the most important national monument in Laos. The golden stupa is a symbol of both the Buddhist religion and Lao sovereignty (according to Lonely Planet).

All I really know about the festival is that thousands of monks come from all over Laos to be here (it is jolly to see all the bright orange robes about town), but the trade fair definitely outshines the religious element of the event. Early Wednesday morning, monks lined up to collect alms from locals, and there was an afternoon hockey/polo game staged in the street between "the man" and "the people." However, I didn't see any of this because I couldn't handle the throbbing crowds of people.

I did go in the evening to peruse the trade fair (still throbbing with crowds of people), check out the CARE co-sponsored avian influenza booth, and visit more nuns. I had never known of Lao Buddhist nuns until this event. Women who have no family, are disabled, or unable to care for themselves may become nuns and live inside the monastery. Asian grandmamas are so cute! I collected several more good luck bracelets from these nuns.

Healthy Poultry, Healthy People! The AI booth was co-sponsored by CARE International, AusAID, AED, and sorry my eyesight is bad so I can't read the other logos. But the central Lao body that this all supports is NAHICO, the National Avian Human Influenza Coordinating Office.

As you can see, the booth was replete with all sorts of AI awareness materials, including posters, Tshirts, demonstration booths for handwashing and proper chicken cooking habits (CARE Lao staff did the cooking!), coloring for the kids (a relatively new concept here), and dramatic renderings of handwashing (in song) and what to do when your bird dies.