Culture of Laos

A village pagoda near Pak Ou, Laos.

Laos musicians during a Baci celebration in 1973.

A Laos cloth weaver near the village of Pak Ou.

Laos has its own distinct culture. Through Theravada Buddhism it has influences from India and has also influences from China. These influences are reflected throughout Laos in its language as well as in art, literature and the performing arts.

Lao way of life is very much influenced by the Buddhism as can be seen through the way that Lao people live and behave. They are taught to be patient and acceptance people. Buddhism was the only thing that bound people together and taught people to be good people and stay away from doing wrong things in the past when the law enforcement was not in place.

An important festival in Laos is Boun Pha Vet^[1] celebrated once a year. This is a two day Buddhist festival that involves the entire community. Traditionally the Boun Pha Vet is held in January or February depending on the moon cycle. During the ceremony the monks give a sermon of all chapters of the Maha Wetsandon Chadok, otherwise called the Great Birth Sermon.

Laotian music is dominated by its national instrument, the khaen (a type of bamboo pipe). Bands typically include a singer/rapper (mor lam) and a khaen player (mor khaen) alongside fiddlers and other musicians. Lam saravane is the most popular genre of Laotian music, but ethnic Lao in Thailand have developed an internationally-best selling form called mo lam sing.

One significant archive of ancient Laotian culture is the Plain of Jars in Xieng Khouang province.

The primary language in Laos is Lao, however there are other Laotian dialects spoken by the ethnic minority groups living in Laos. The Lao language is a very polite language with multiple tiers of politeness including common polite particles such as "Jao" and "Doi".

Laos has no copyright legislation, which is unusual compared to most other countries.^[2] A draft law based on the WIPO and TRIPS agreements has been prepared, and was expected to be enacted in 2010. As of 2011, it has not passed yet, according to the WIPO website.^[3]

See also

• Cuisine of Laos
• Music of Laos
• Religion in Laos

References

1. ^ Boun Pha Vet
2. ^ [1]
3. ^ http://www.wipo.int/wipolex/en/details.jsp?id=5890

External links

• Laos Cultural Profile (Ministry of Information and Culture/Visiting Arts)
• Plain of Jars website (pages on cuisine, music, history and religion)
• Lao culture (Lao way of life, Tradition, Architecture, Wedding and Baci)
• : Lao Cooking and The Essence of Life