LAOS

Butuan,
Hudzaipa A.
 Etymology
 The English word Laos was coined by the
French, who united the three Lao kingdoms
in French Indochina in 1893, and named
the country as the plural of the dominant
and most common ethnic group, which are
the Lao people.
 In the Lao language, the country's name is
"Muang Lao" (ເມມອງລາວ) or "Pathet Lao"
(ປະເທດລາວ): both literally mean "Lao
Country"
 History
 An ancient human skull was recovered from the 
Tam Pa Ling Cave in the Annamite Mountains in
northern Laos; the skull is at least 46,000 years old,
making it the oldest modern human fossil found to date
in Southeast Asia. Stone artifacts including Hoabinhian
 types have been found at sites dating to the Late 
Pleistocene in northern Laos. Archaeological evidence
suggests agriculturist society developed during the 4th
millennium BC. Burial jars and other kinds of
sepulchers suggest a complex society in which bronze
objects appeared around 1500 BC, and iron tools were
known from 700 BC. The proto-historic period is
characterized by contact with Chinese and Indian
civilitation. According to linguistic and other historical
evidence, Tai-speaking tribes migrated southwestward
to the modern territories of Laos and Thailand from 
Guangxi sometime between the 8th–10th centuries.
Laos,-officially
the Lao People's
Democratic Republic, is a landlocked
country in Southeast Asia, bordered
by Burma and People's Republic of
China to the northwest, Vietnam to
the east, Cambodia to the south, and
Thailand to the west. Its population
was estimated to be around 6.5
million in 2012.
Geography
A landlocked nation in Southeast
Asia occupying the northwest
portion of the Indochinese
peninsula, Laos is surrounded by
China, Vietnam, Cambodia,
Thailand, and Burma. It is twice the
size of Pennsylvania. Laos is a
mountainous country, especially in
the north, where peaks rise above
9,000 ft (2,800 m). Dense forests
cover the northern and eastern
areas. The Mekong River, which
forms the boundary with Burma and
Thailand, flows through the country
for 932 mi (1,500 km) of its course.
This country is an independent
state of Southeast Asia and
officially known as Lao People’s
Democratic Republic. It is formerly
part of the Indochinese Union, also
known as French Indochina. Wat
Pha That Luang, Vientiane is one
of its famous landmarks.
Religion
Buddhism first appeared in Laos during the eighth century A.D., as
shown by both the Buddha image and the stone inscription found at
Ban Talat near Vientiane, now exhibited at Hor Pra keo Museum. After
the foundation of the unified Kingdom of Lane Xang, King Fa Ngum
(14th Century) declared Buddhism as the state religion and urged the
people to abandon Animism or other beliefs such as the Cult of Spirits.
His policy meant to develop the Lao culture based on a common faith:
Theravada Buddhism. 
Today, Theravada Buddhism is the professed religion of about 90% of
Lao people. Buddhism is an inherent feature of daily life and casts a
strong influence on Lao society. Lao woman can be seen each morning
giving alms to monks, earning merit to lessen the number of their
rebirths. It is expected that every Lao man will become a monk for at
least a short time in his life. 
Traditionally, men spent three months during the rainy season in a
Wat (Buddhist temple). Today, however; most men curtail their stay to
one or two weeks.
ARTS AND LITERATURE
Laos has a long tradition of oral
literature, including folk tales, children's
stories, proverbs, parables and poems.
Talented narrators can recite lengthy poems,
some as much as six hours long, entirely
from memory. Lam or khap is love poetry set
to music, performed as a solo or in duets.
Some songs go on all night and sessions
have been known to last for up to 72 hours.
Contests for spontaneous poems and songs
are also popular. 
There are three masterpieces of Laotian literature:
the Vetsantrasadok, the Sin Say, and the Thao
Hung. The Vetsantrasadok is the most popular and
deals with the life of Buddha before his
enlightenment. Education through reincarnation is
the theme of the story. The poet Phangkham
wrote Sin Say. Sin Say, the hero, was born holding a
bow and arrows in his hand. His brother, Sang Thong,
was a golden snail, and his half-brother was an
elephant with golden tusks. The story tells how the
ogre Nhak Koumphan stole the brothers' aunt and
how the brothers defeated the ogre and rescued their
aunt. Thao Hung is a historical epic. Its hero belongs
to the Mon-Khmer ethnic group. It recounts the
struggle between ancient ruling families in Indochina.
 The Dhammapada is an important
book in Buddhist literature. It contains
423 verses spoken by the Buddha on
various occasions. For example, "Mind is
the most important thing. It is the source
of all actions. If we act or speak with an
impure mind, we suffer. But if we act or
speak with a clean mind, then we shall be
happy." The Dhammapada was originally
written in Pali, a language that closely
resembles Sanskrit.
Arts and Culture
One of the trademarks of Laos is the diversity of its
people and cultures. There are a number of traditional
arts and crafts that represent their way of life. 
Lao has a rich cultural heritage with religious art and
architecture forming the cornerstone of artistic
traditions. 
There exists across the country a plethora of distinctive
monuments and architectural styles. One of the most
notable structures is the That Luang, the great Sacred
Stupa, in Vientiane. Its dome-like stupa and four-
cornered superstructure is the model for similar
monuments across Laos. Stupas serve to commemorate
the life of the Buddha and many stupas are said to
house sacred Buddha relics (parts of Buddha s body).
Pha That Luang (Lao
for "Great Stupa") is a
gold-covered
Buddhist stupa in
Ventiane, Laos. The
Lao people say it was
originally built as a
Hindu temple in the
3rd century.
Xieng Khuan (Buddha Park)
near Vientiane, Laos
Laos Music
Itis divided into two genres:
Classical Music
Folk Music
Laos Music
Classical Music
It is closely related to the
Thailand music
Laos Music
Folk Music
The folk music of Laos is closely
related to the oldest types of Indian
Music
Mor Lam – it is an extemporaneous
singing accompanied by the khene.
It is both popular in Laos and
Thailand
 Musical Instruments of
Laos
Sep Nyai
Laos musical
ensemble
It is used in
formal and
ceremonial music
 Musical Instruments of
Laos
Khene
A mouth
organ of Laos whose pipes,
which are usually made of
bamboo, are connected
with a small, hollowed-out
hardwood reservoir into
which air is blown, creating
a sound similar to that of
the violin.
 Musical Instruments of
Laos
Khene
It uses pentatonic
scale
It can be played
as a solo o
ensemble
instrument
The classical music and dance
of Laos is highly influences by
India, Cambodia, and Thailand.
Themes are drawn from Hindu
mythology, the Buddhist
Jatakatales, and local legends.
The royal entourage of Lao kings
traditionally included musicians, and a
typical orchestra improvised songs with sets
of tuned gongs, xylophones, a bamboo flute,
and other wind instruments. The Lao
orchestra can be divided into two
categories:
1. Sep Nyai - This is similar to the Piphat of
Thailand with instruments that are strictly
percussive but also integrates the use of an
oboe.
2. Sep Noi – This is also known as the Mahori
of Thailand. However, it incorporates the use
of several Khene which is a large bamboo
mouth organ and is the most popular folk
Most Popular Tourist Spots
The temple was built in 1565 as a royal
chapel and repository for the
celebrated statue of the Emerald
Buddha, which the Laotians had taken
from Northern Thailand in 1551. The
jasper statue remained in the temple
until 1778, when the Thais invaded
and recaptured the statue, taking it off
to Bangkok (Wat Phra Kaeo). The Ho Phra Keo
temple was destroyed in 1828-1829 Vientiane, Laos 
during the Thai sack of Vientiane; 20th century restoration
rebuilt in 1936; and restored again in of 1565 original
1993.
Ho Phra Keo was called "Wat Phra Keo" ("Temple of the
Emerald Buddha")
during the time that the statue was in residence there.
It is now called "Ho Phra Keo" ("Altar of the Emerald Buddha")
because only an altar is there, the image still remaining in
Thailand.
Crossing the Mekong river near Lingaparvata
Champasak, one sees the mountain Champasak, Laos
called "Lingaparvata," so named
because the natural formation (top of
mountain, center of photo) seems to
resemble Shiva's linga. To many
visitors, it even more closely
resembles a female breast. Wat Phu
nestles at the base of this mountain,
which has been a sacred site from at
least the 5th century A.D., being
associated with the early kings of
Chenla.
"Parvata" means "mountain," so
"Lingaparvata" is literally "Linga
Mountain." It is the same word-root
as "Parvati," the name of 
Shiva's consort, a mountain-goddess.
This early-nineteenth century temple, the
oldest remaining in Vientiane after the Thais
sacked the city in 1828-1829, shelters a
substantial collection of 18c-and-earlier
Buddha statues (next pages).
Legendarily considered an Ashokan foundation, the site was
determined by archaeologists to date originally back to Khmer times
(11th-13th century). The stupa, seen here, was built in 1566 during
the reign of King Setthathirat, destroyed in the 1828-1829 sack of
Vientiane, and rebuilt in the 1930s.
Thanks For
Listening!