World Travel 4 Indians

A culture of any country is unique, distinctive and definitely one of the distinguishing features of that country. The culture of Laos is nothing different. The Lao culture is hugely indebted to Theravadan Buddhism. Lao literature, language, temples and art is reflective of the fact that Theravadan Buddhism has a lot to do with the Culture of Laos.

Laotian literature is not constricted to religious texts alone. A secular literary tradition has existed side by side, based on the grand themes that form the backbone of the Hindu epic poems. The folk art of Laos include weaving, basket making, wood carving, ivory carving, silver and gold work. There are professional dancers who give theme base performances. For inspiration they have to fall back on the Indian epics once again. The national instrument of Laos, the khaen, dominates Laotian music that is a major aspect of the culture of Laos. A typical Laotian musical band comprise of a singer, the khaen player, violinists and other musicians.

The population of Laos can be distinctively classified into four major ethno-linguistic groups, which include the Lao-Lum, the Lao-Tai, the Lao-Theung and the Lao-Soung. The majority of the Lao population is the follower of Theravada Buddhism. Christianity is followed by the minority, while the Chinese and Vietnamese minorities follow Mahayana Buddhism and Confucianism respectively.

The archaeological sites, monuments, traditional towns and villages in Laos comprise of the physical heritage of the country. They are of inestimable value to the culture of Laos and to its people. There are also a good number of museums that acts as a complement and is a source of interest to the foreigners visiting Laos.