Weekend with Elder Vance

That Luang Festival

The That Luang, a Buddhist shrine, has a festival each year for about a week.  There are thousands of people who go there to pay respects, give money and gifts to the monks, celebrate and have a good time.  We went a couple of weeks early to avoid the crowd, but later went to see what it was like with all the people.

People take off their shoes to come near altars to offer their flower arrangements, burn incense or leave other gifts and say a little prayer.

Just next to That Luang is another Buddhist worship house.  Inside, monks were sitting eating meals that people brought to them.  They always took their shoes off to enter, and we did not take pictures inside, so as not to disturb them.

Under a covered walk outside the courtyard were large statues or headstones.

Some of the monks are very young.  Elder Vance stopped to visit with some, who were more than happy to let us take their picture.  In fact, they produced cameras of their own to have pictures taken with Elder Vance, who is 6'2".

A couple was at the That having picture taken for their wedding in their beautiful formal dress and suit.

Several couples were having their pictures taken by this That (pronounced like "tot").

The military suit was worn by several people, including a woman in a white skirt.

Elder Vance and one of his new companions, Sister Bush.  Elder Vance's two companions went to District Conference in Khon Kaen, Thailand for three days.  The three of us could not go because we didn't have the re-entry visas.  Interesting 3-somes.

Lady making beautiful designs for a band that goes over the shoulder.

At the ITECC, there was a special exhibit of Hmong handicrafts.  Some of the people were making their crafts as we watched.  Pictures made of mosaics of wood was this man's specialty.

There are a lot of intricate, but sometimes massive, wood carvings out of teak wood and other types of wood.

This Hmong lady is in her native dress.  She makes bracelets, clothing and baskets.

Hmong dress is very colorful.

This lady is heating up the silk cocoons and spinning the very fine thread into heavier thread to use in making the silk fabrics and embroideries.

At right, you can see the tiny threads of silk coming up from the heated cocoons into a dye that combines them into a thread that is then wound on a spool.

Elder Vance and Sister Bush at the Peace Gong by Patuxay.

 Patuxay was built by the Lao government with money given them by the U.S.  It reminds us of the Arch of Triumph in France.

There are stairs going up inside each side of the structure, with shops on every one of the 5 levels.

This shopkeeper was demonstrating how to play a flute-type Lao instrument.

Side by side are the flags of the Lao Peoples Democratic Republic (Lao PDR) and the communist party flag, both of which fly here in Lao.

A winding staircase goes up to the last stage of Patuxay to an observation deck.  Great views of buildings and parts of the city can be seen from on top.

White government buildings can be seen from atop Patuxay.

Nicely manicured gardens are on the Patuxay grounds.  This is a place a lot of tourists come to see.

While Elder Vance stayed with us, we thought we ought to learn together to do some Thai cooking of recipes in the mission handbook.  Tasty!!!

We mostly see the young monks (teenagers) around town, but for the That Luang Festival there were many older monks.

We weren't sure if this was a family gathering or a restaurant setting up.  Either way, there was going to be some good eating.

Lao women wearing traditional dress.  The skirt is called a sin, which is a wraparound skirt, with a matching sash.

Among the thousands of people we saw, we just happened to run into Boutsadii, the woman with the vase under the umbrella.  She was a guest at the symposium on law and religion held at BYU Provo this year.  We saw her off at the airport and were there to greet her when she returned.  Each year, we send a couple of people from the government to the symposium.  She is a nice lady.

Lots of beautiful dresses. 

 People receive friendship bracelets from the monks, which is a woven string bracelet.

The girls are in school uniforms.  They are carrying a marigold flower arrangement and a tree of 1,000 kip bills to donate.  (8,000 kip/$1)

Lao traditional dress for the men.  

Everyone brings a vase with them to the festival.  Then they purchase a marigold arrangement of flowers and maybe add some money to the arrangement and put it in their vase.  After circling the wat three times they give the items in the vase to the monks. 

Some people come in groups, coordinated in this case by a man with an electronic bullhorn.  It is like a mini parade, with people making music, carrying floats and flowers and enjoying being together.

The guy with the turquoise headdress and earrings was unusual.

We saw people of all ages in the festivities, making their donations and prayers.