This is a photo of the Reclining Buddha, taken at Wat Tham Phou Si, a Buddhist temple, located on the Mount Phou Si, in Luang Prabang , Laos. Mount Phou Si (also written Mount Phu Si), is a 100m high hill in the center of the old town of Luang Prabang. It lies in the heart of the old town peninsula and is bordered on one side by the Mekong River and on the other side by the Nam Khan River. The hill is a local religious site, and houses several Buddhist shrines. Halfway up the hill... Read Full Story
This photo was taken during the daily night market of Luang Prabang in Laos, which features vendors selling all the typical Lao arts and crafts, some more touristy than others.
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This photo was taken from the bank of the Mekong River in Luang Prabang , Laos. The Mekong River is one of the world’s major rivers. It is the world's 12th-longest river and the 7th-longest in Asia (discharging 475 km3/114 cu mi of water annually). Its estimated length is 4,350 km, and it drains an area of 795,000 km2. From the Tibetan Plateau this river runs through China's Yunnan province, Burma, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam. The Mekong basin is one of the richest areas of... Read Full Story
This photo was taken in Vientiane , the capital city of Laos. The traditional Lao dance is called the lum vong . All the dancers form a circle. The size of the circle depends on the song being played, the lam or morlam. All the dancers will "fohn" in a circular way repeating the circle until the song stops. The circle and the dance are very coordinated and oriented. If the style and the beat of the song is slow, the dancers will go slowly. Conversely, the circle will rotate faster to a... Read Full Story
Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter helped the housing charity that he champions, Habitat for Humanity, launch a campaign Monday to build homes for 50,000 families in the Mekong River region over the next five years. Carter and his wife, Rosalynn, are among 3,000 volunteers from 25 countries working with Habitat for Humanity this week to help build and repair homes along the Mekong River in Thailand, Vietnam, China, Cambodia and Laos. The homes in Cambodia are being built for families... Read Full Story
The Mekong River separates Thailand from Laos in the north eastern region of the country and Phon Phisai (โพนพิสัย ) is a small town nestled on the riverbank of the famous stretch of water. It's a place I have visited many times before and each one of those trips has been to visit Phon Phisai's very busy day market on the banks of the Mekong River.
Phon Phisai has drawn the interest of Thai TV documentaries before concerning its Naga Fireball Festival which is normally held around... Read Full Story
Japan from Friday hosts the leaders of Southeast Asia's five Mekong River nations as the world's number two economy looks to deepen ties with the resource-rich region amid growing influence from China. Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama, who has pushed the concept of an EU-style Asian Community since taking office in September, will meet his counterparts from Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam for the two-day meeting. Aside from broad regional issues, the Japanese side also highlighted... Read Full Story
Chiang Mai, a major city in northern Thailand, is usually referred to as the Rose of the North. This city is not only famous for numerous temples but is even the gateway to the Golden Triangle, Burma, and Chiang Rai. There is also plenty to do outside the city, with hot springs, attractive waterfalls, and the jewel in the crown Doi Suthep, a mountain just outside Chiang Mai with one of Thailand’s main temples. Apart from these, Chiang Mai offers you numerous sight seeing activities, shopping... Read Full Story
They were drunk ; the streets were dark and littered in potholes. Ton explained that he was careful to make the obligatory judgements to drive carefully. This was not one of those times when a person drinking should not drive. This was one of those times someone uses his judgement properly. I soon discovered on exiting the gala that it hadn't been their target to drive. Any reasonable person would think it a touch off-color to collapse a marriage. When that wedding turns out to be in Laos who... Read Full Story
