‘World Theme Travel – When It Rains, Laos!’ Part 3, ‘Rest in the Rain, Luang Prabang’, will air on EBS1 TV today (25th) at 8:40 PM.
A new landscape we didn’t know about unfolds in the rain. When it rains, it’s Laos!
Are you hesitant to travel during the rainy season? No, it’s better! When it rains, a new door to Laos opens. Find the unique scenery that can only be seen during the rainy season! A trip to Laos in the rain.
The land of the Talian tribe, the unknown tribe shrouded in mystery, Sekong
The Real Life of Laotians in the Rainy Season Vang Vieng, Si Phan Don
If you need a break on a rainy day, Luang Prabang
How Laotians Survive the Long Rainy Season Pakse, Luang Prabang
Come to Laos during the rainy season! You will discover the true face of Laos that you have never seen before.
A rare clear day in the rainy season. The starting point of this trip is Luang Prabang, the capital of the Lan Xang Kingdom, the first unified dynasty in Laos. Luang Prabang is a cultural city where the entire city is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and Laos’ history remains intact. We visited Wat Xiengthong, the ‘Golden City Temple’, the representative tourist attraction of this place. On the walls of the temple, there are murals that show the vivid lives of the people of Luang Prabang in the past. What were the lives of the Laotians in the past like?
In search of another trace of the life of the Laotians, we headed to Pak Ou Cave. It is a cave at the confluence of the Mekong and Ou Rivers, and has been known as a sacred place since ancient times. Laotians have dedicated Buddha statues here to pray for the well-being of their families and the safety of boaters traveling on the Mekong River. The Buddha statues that fill the cave are as diverse in size and shape as each one of them. It is not a religious space, but a place where earnest wishes for someone are gathered, and we can see the warm hearts of the Laotian people.
A small village next to the Mekong River. We go fishing following a fisherman named ‘Unh An’ whom we meet by chance. ‘Unh An’ who catches fish using traps in various places of the Mekong River is the living history of the Mekong River who has lived as a fisherman for over 20 years. The fishermen of the Mekong River who go out to catch fish every day. Will their dream of a full catch come true? The next place we arrive at is the Lao shochu ‘Lao Khao’ distillery. The alcohol content of Lao Khao, a distilled liquor made from glutinous rice, is a whopping 80 to 90 degrees! When you drink one glass, it feels like fire is coming out of your mouth. With a glass of freshly distilled warm liquor and fresh fish, you realize the true meaning of happiness that can be felt in Laos.
The morning of Luang Prabang is opened by the monks’ ‘Tak Bat’ procession. The true purpose of the Laotian culture of Tak Bat, where people dress up neatly from dawn and offer food they have prepared with care to the monks, is sharing. The offerings that the Laotian people give to the monks are passed on to the poor and needy people waiting at the end of the Tak Bat procession. Watching the Tak Bat procession in Luang Prabang, I take to heart the principle of the cycle of filling and sharing.
We head into the mountains to find new encounters. In the village of the Mong people living in the highlands, new yet familiar scenery unfolds. We encounter familiar and welcome sights such as the Mong shaman ritual that reminds us of our country’s shamanism and the eating method of eating rice with soup. We look at the Mong people’s traditional costumes and gorgeous accessories, and enjoy a break in the rain while listening to the performance of the Khaen, a Laotian folk instrument that has developed uniquely in the Mong culture.
Photo courtesy of reporter Park Yu-mi = EBS World Theme Travel
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2024-09-25 17:03:31