How to showcase your Lao souvenirs

If you've returned from a visit to Laos and have souvenirs that you're not quite sure how to showcase, here's an idea that could work for you.

Luang Prabang - A World Heritage Town at Risk

Source:  Asia Insight, NHK World-Japan, March 29, 2025

Follow along as Asia Insight focuses on Luang Prabang, its tourism industry, and its changing demographics.  This is juxtaposed with a feature on Ms. Phang Sangchansavang, a Luang Prabang native and grandmother, sharing how all these changes affect local life.  

Note:  If the video above doesn't load for you, please click on the link instead to view on Youtube directly.

A Lao tradition - the blessing of the home

Source:  Lao Heritage Trails, 2022

In Laos, there are many spiritual ceremonies for all sorts of life events and they often intertwine animism with Buddhism.  One of those rituals is the blessing of the home which is typically done when you move into a new home or are about to build a new one.  Have a look.

Haw kow padap din - A Lao festival to remember the dead

Video Credit:  LNTV

Very useful Lao/English Buddhist book

Title: Short Dictionary of Religious and Buddhist Terms Lao-English  / ວັດຈະນານຸກົມນ້ອຍ ຄວາມເຊື່ອ ແລະ ພູດທະສາສນາ ລາວ-ອງກິດ
By:  Patrice Ludwig / ເພັດ ລາດວິກ
Price:  FREE

Padupdin's coverage of Boun Tat Luang Festival 2020 Day 1-5

Episode 1 ກ່ອນຮອດມື້ບຸນທາດຫຼວງ ນະຄອນຫຼວງວຽງຈັນ

Before the Tat Luang Festival in Vientiane.
Credit:  Youtube user PadubDin ປະດັບດິນ, October 27, 2020.

A perfect t-shirt to celebrate Boun Tat Luang Festival

Boun Tat Luang Festival 2020 - Day of the parade

 

ບຸນທາດຫລວງ ມື້ແຫ່ພະສາດເຜີ້ງ 30/10/2020

Credit:  Youtube user KopKoua Bousa

Boun Tat Luang - Tat Luang Festival

 

Learn Lao Language: End of Buddhist Lent

ຮຽນພາສາລາວອັງກິດ Learn Lao and English

ອອກພັນ​ສາ End of Buddhist Lent

#LearnLao #LaoLanguage #Lao #Laotian #ລາວ

Lighting it up in Luangprabang

Monks lighting up lanterns at their temple in Luangprabang.

ໄຕ້ທຽນແລະໂຄມໄຟຢູ່ວັດຢູ່ຫວງພະບາງ

Can you be part bird and still beautiful? Here's Nang Kinalee

ນາງກິນນະລີ Nang Kinalee.  Artwork by:  LM/Laoconnection.com

Nang Tolanee - Earth Goddess

ນາງທໍລະນີ.  Artwork by: LM/Laoconnection.com

Do you know Sinxay?

ຮູບສິນໄຊ

Artist: LM/Laoconnection.com

ວັນວິສາຂາບູຊາ - ພຶດສະພາ 7 Vesak Day - May 7

ວັນວິສາຂາບູຊາ - ພຶດສະພາ 7

Vesak Day - May 7 

A special day that celebrates the Buddha’s birth, life, his passing, and attainment of nirvana. #VesakDay #Buddhism 🙏

Anniversary Art Series - September 2018

Artist Series:  MC/Buddhhism in Laos

Anniversary Art Series - July 2018

Artist Series:  DA/Religious iconography

Lao Language: Buddhism Related Words

As Buddhism is the largest religion in Laos, you'll often hear these terms. Here are some Buddhist related terms written in Lao and English.

Lao Religious and Mythological Beings and Deities

The origins of many of these are of course from Buddhism and Hinduism.
Top (left to right): Pa Sratsvady (Sarasweti), Pa In (Indra), Pa Ganed (Ganesha).
Bottom (left to right): Hanuman and Nang Matba (Supanmatcha), Nang Tolanee (Bhumidevi), Pa Prom.

Designed by:  Ky Phungchaleon for the Kingdom of Laos postal stamps, 1970-71.

Book: Buddhist Funeral Cultures of Southeast Asia and China

Title:  Buddhist Funeral Cultures of Southeast Asia and China
Edited by:  Paul Williams and Patrice Ladwig
Publisher / Year:  Cambridge University Press, 2012
ISBN:  9781107667877

This book is a wonderful analysis of what happens after death and the rituals and practices that take place.  Further, since it covers southeast Asia and China, it provides the reader a wonderful resource for comparative analysis between varying cultures.

In Asia there are many ethnic groups within any single country and each of them handle funeral rites differently.  Sometimes those differences are vast and some of them only slightly.  Laos is no exception to this. 

Two of the chapters are dedicated to Laos, noted below.