The
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.
An important festival in Laos is
Boun Pha Vet celebrated once a year. This is a two day Buddhist festival that involves the entire community. Traditionally the Boun Pha Vet is held in the 4th lunar month. 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.
See also
