Laos - Thailand

Yesterday was one of the most beautiful days of my life. We visited Laos! I’ve been wanting to see this city for ages.

I want to introduce you to Laos’ interesting culture. There are living 49 ethnic groups in the city and each of them has their own customs, culture, tradition and dialect. Half of the inhabitants are Loa Loum. These people really determine Laos’ culture because it’s the most dominant ethnic group of the city.

Religion is very important in Laos. Most of the Laotian people follow Buddhism but actually the Thai people have a religious freedom. The citizens respect any other religion and are always ready to talk about their Buddhist values. Only 4% of the inhabitants practice Islam so you see that Buddhism is very popular. In Laos, meditation is a part of religion. In some temples, tourists can learn how to meditate. Some wats – wat means temple in Laos – even allow people to talk with monks in order to learn more about or study Buddhism. In Chiang Mai, we also had the chance to talk with a monk. For me, it was an incredibly valuable experience because I picked up things that I want to apply to my life. I learned that I always have to take responsibility for my actions and that I can only become happy when I don’t dwell in the past. Delphine, Thomas and Naomi, have you also learned something about Buddhism? Thomas, you talked about the Buddhist themes that were carved on temples in Krong Siem Reap. According to me, they were beautiful! Those people are artists! What did you think? I never expected Buddhism to be important in Cambodia as well.

As I already said, temples are places where you can meditate but there’s much more than the religious aspect. The buildings are also used for festivals, village meetings and shelter for the homeless. Some temples even function as a library. When there are Buddhist holidays, the citizens go to the temples in large groups to pay homage to the Buddha.  

I hope I gave you some interesting information about Laos. When you ever have the chance, visit this city because it’s truly magnificent! 

Ulrike

Sources:

http://www.totallaos.com/en/temples.html

http://www.renown-travel.com/laos/templeslaos.html

http://www.buddhanet.net/e-learning/5minbud.htm

http://www.tourismthailand.org/Thailand/religion

http://www.laos-guide-999.com/Laos-culture.html