Boun Xuang Heua, Vientiane 2019


I didn't know the Mekong river festival was happening - it was a case of being in the right place at the right time. Boun Xuang Heua, the Lao Mekong river festival, is very similar to the Loi Krathong festival celebrated in Thailand in each November, both thanking the divine for providing the water that all life depends on. But, unlike Loi Krathong which only takes place one night, it was a 4- or 5-day event, with a festive atmosphere all over the city, with street stalls, restaurants full of happy locals, traditional and contemporary music, Lao Box (Muay Lao - I didn't know it existed!), boat races (which I missed, but saw several times in Thailand), fireworks, the Lao leadership present, and of course the offering of wreaths of flowers with candles floating on the river. What a memorable way to enter Laos!































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