What should you pay attention to when traveling to Vientiane, Laos for the first time?

Each ethnic group always has its own traditional customs and taboos. Therefore, when visiting Laos or living there for a long time, you should understand this common sense to avoid unpleasant things happening.

Lao people are accustomed to performing a salute of two hands when meeting each other. The handshake salute is basically not used in rural areas and is only used among urban and upper-class people. When certain Miao and Yao ethnic groups meet, they hold their fists in a salute just like the Chinese did in the past. There are two types of Lao people's Namaste salute: one is to straighten the palms of both hands, put the fingers together, and salute with the palms of hands together. The other is to put your hands together and bow to salute and express your respects to the other party. This salute is only used when you have special respect for the other party. For people you know, you should say hello when meeting and breaking up. For acquaintances, you can only say hello without giving any courtesy. Under normal circumstances, young people should take the initiative to say hello to older people, women should take the initiative to say hello to men, and hosts should take the initiative to say hello to guests (but when male hosts see female guests, they only say hello and do not take the initiative to say hello), and the latter should return the favor. . When shaking hands, as is the custom among Westerners, men must wait for the woman to extend her hand before doing so, and it is best to take off his hat before shaking hands.

Lao people are warm and hospitable, and the most common and solemn etiquette for receiving guests is "tying the thread", which is called "Baxi" in Lao language. Whether it is to welcome distinguished guests, wish birth and newlyweds, wish travelers a safe journey, or wish those who are sick a speedy recovery, it can be held. The people who tie the strings are mostly respected old people in the village, and the monks are invited to read the congratulations in a solemn way. While reciting blessings, the old man tied the string soaked in perfume to the guest's two wrists. When tying the thread, all participants in the ceremony must face the old man with their hands clasped together and sit on the floor. The host will tie the thread to the guests in order of age or position. The person being tied will raise one hand to the tip of his eyebrow during the ceremony. As a gift. At the end of the ceremony, the guests should put their hands together and say "Satu", which means "I hope so." In order to express gratitude, the guest can also tie a thread to the host in turn. The thread tied to the wrist should be worn for at least 3 days to show courtesy and respect.

Drinking jar wine is also a traditional etiquette for Laotians to welcome guests. When visiting Lao people's homes, guests must drink jar wine and cannot refuse, otherwise the host will think that the family will be unlucky. When drinking wine from the jar, the wine is placed in a jar or urn, with a few bamboo tubes inserted into it. Everyone sits around, drinking and talking until the wine tastes weak and everyone leaves happily.

When greeting a Laotian, if you know the other person’s name, you can only use the first name instead of the last name. However, in order to show respect, different words of respect should be added before the names of different objects, such as "Tao" for men with higher social status, "Niang" for women, "Zhao" for princes, etc. For those who do not know their names, the old man is called "Yepao", the old lady is called "Yemai", the eldest brother is called "Yai'ai", the eldest sister is called "Ye'e", and the younger brother and younger sister are called "Yenon". In daily life, Laotians themselves are accustomed to calling people by their first names and never by their surnames.

Each ethnic group in Laos has its own traditional living customs. For example, the old people have strict distinctions about how to use the river water next to the village. The upper section is where drinking water is obtained, the middle section is where men bathe, and the lower section is where women bathe. When fetching water, as long as there are public utensils such as bamboo tubes at the water source, you cannot use your own utensils to scoop water directly. For another example, you must take off your shoes before entering an old man's house, and outsiders are not allowed to enter the inner room. After entering the house, they usually sit on the floor without pointing their feet toward others; men mostly sit cross-legged, while women put their knees together and put their feet to the side. You can't walk among people when others are talking, especially women. If you must do this, lower your head and say "I'm sorry."

The elders believe that the top of the head is the most noble place. They are not allowed to touch the tops of others, especially children. You must take off your shoes before entering the Buddhist temple.

The Tai people’s houses are stilt houses, which are composed of three parts: "Hongxiang", "Cha" and "Xie". "Hongxiang" refers to the house, "zha" is the balcony-shaped extension at the end of the house, and "xi" is also the extension of the house, mostly at the head end of the house. According to the customs of the Tai people, foreign women, pregnant women of the same family, or taboo objects such as raw fish and raw meat, etc., must enter the house through the "gate". The first "harmony" pillar at the head of the house is the Anshen position. place.

There is a staircase at the main entrance, which is only used by men or elder women to go up and down the stairs.

Most of the Ja people believe in ghosts and gods, and they often hold ghost worship activities as a group. When the whole village is worshiping ghosts, outsiders are not allowed to enter the village. When the Ka people are sick, they are taboo about seeing strangers or outsiders. At this time, the patient's family usually puts leaves or branches on the door as a sign. If you see a hexagonal bamboo sign hanging on the door or under the eaves, it means that there is a ghost in the house and outsiders are not allowed to enter. The Ka people also have other taboos, such as strangers are not allowed to enter or leave through the back door; they are not allowed to lie across the door when sleeping (they believe this will block the entry and exit of the God of Happiness); they are not allowed to make loud noises or blow whistles or trumpets when entering the village. .

The Miao people in Laos have many taboos in terms of clothing, food, housing, transportation, etc. If someone in the family has something to do, they will put branches at the door to indicate that outsiders are not allowed inside; outsiders are not allowed to enter the house before the baby is one month old; during funerals, sacrifices and other activities, outsiders are not allowed to break in without the owner's permission; no heads are allowed when sleeping. Toward the door; indoor altars cannot be moved at will, etc.

In addition to many taboos on worshiping ghosts and doing business, the Yao people in Laos also stipulate that during the Spring Festival, they will sacrifice tigers for three days and are not allowed to go out. Outsiders are also prohibited from entering the village; eating dog meat is strictly prohibited. Some Yao people do not eat beef and are taboo about hanging white mosquito nets.

Most of the Lao and Thai ethnic groups live near rivers and streams, and there are strict distinctions in the use of river water next to the village: the upper section is where drinking water is obtained and cannot be bathed or washed; the middle section is where men take a bath The lower section is where women bathe. When fetching water, as long as there are public utensils such as bamboo tubes at the water source, you cannot use your own utensils to scoop water directly. There are also distinctions in indoor water use. Generally speaking, the water in small bamboo tubes or gourds is mostly for drinking and cannot be used for washing.

There are not many public toilets in Laos cities. It is customary in rural areas to not have toilets, and to defecate in relatively hidden places, such as bamboo forests, bushes, etc., but not by rivers, rice fields, vegetable fields, orchards, or in pig or cow stables. You must take off your shoes when entering the houses of the Lao people, and outsiders are not allowed to enter the inner rooms. Indoors, you are not allowed to spit or bake shoes and socks by the fire pit, and you are not allowed to sit, lie down or place objects in places where gods are worshipped. After entering the house, they usually sit on the floor. When sitting, they should not face others with their feet. Men mostly sit cross-legged, while women put their knees together and put their feet to the side. , Don't pass between people when talking, especially women. If you must do this, lower your head and say "I'm sorry." You must respect the elderly and pay attention to etiquette. You must not clean the house casually, but must first obtain the owner's permission.

In addition, the Lao and Thai people have many other taboos in life. For example, among the elderly, the top of the head is the most noble part and they are not allowed to touch the tops of others, especially children. This is very different from the habits of some ethnic groups in China. Whenever there is a sacrifice to the village, outsiders are not allowed to enter the village. There are five days of worship to the village god every year; during this period, it is forbidden to carry water, spring rice, etc. Things that symbolize the village god or sacrifice items cannot be touched. "It is taboo to weave on the 15th and 30th of each month, and do not plant trees within the 7 days starting from March 3 every year. Do not take things out of the house. Take off your shoes when entering the Buddhist temple, do not touch the Buddha statues casually, let alone in the Buddhist temple or It is forbidden to kill animals or cut down bodhi trees and chun trees in the vicinity. Things in the Buddhist temple are not allowed to be taken out of the temple, and things that are forbidden to monks such as dog meat, horse meat, snake meat, wine, etc. are not allowed. Bring someone to a Buddhist temple. Outsiders are not allowed to eat with monks. Outsiders can drink water from ponds, water tanks or pots in Buddhist temples, but they cannot drink water from monks' kettles, unless the monks give you a drink near the thatch of the village. , bamboo, etc. are necessary materials for construction. Most of them already have owners and cannot be cut down casually.

There are also some local issues that need to be paid attention to:

Temples are often visited in various places in Laos. Remember not to wear shorts when doing this kind of activity, but you should still bring a pair of brightly colored shorts to show off when rafting in Vang Vieng. If you buy them locally in Vang Vieng, they cost 3-5 US dollars, and the fabric is not good.

It is best to bring two pairs of sunglasses. If you are rafting in a kayak, it is best not to wear them, otherwise they may become another collectible on the Nam Song River.

Shoes are a special reminder. In addition to walking around in colorful slippers as the locals do, you should bring a pair of sneakers suitable for hiking and a pair of lace-up sandals. The sneakers are for caving and climbing, and the lace-up sandals are specially for wading in Vang Vieng. When photographing rafters and crossing the stream in Xayaburi to photograph elephants, wearing slippers can easily cause your feet to slip and is easily damaged.

Facial care: Use more than 30 times the amount of sunscreen. It is best to bring sunglasses and a hat. There is no winter along the way and you will be exposed to the sun all year round. Drivers and people sitting in front of you should especially avoid getting sunburned. Moisturizing creams and conditioners can be kept at home, but they are not needed at all in these warm and humid areas.

Daily necessities: The power supply in Laos does not have three-way sockets, so you need to bring your own power strip.

Except for the main streets in Vientiane and Luang Prabang, most of the roads in Laos do not have street lights, so it is recommended to bring a flashlight or headlamp.

Consumables in hotels and youth hostels in Laos generally only provide roll paper and a bottle of drinking water, so you need to bring your own toiletries. Also bring some spare tissues and wet wipes. Bring a pack of cotton swabs, not for makeup, but to plug your ears at night. Most youth hostels in Laos are wooden buildings with no soundproofing at all. Snoring downstairs can also be heard upstairs. Moreover, there are many chickens in Laos, regardless of whether they are urban or rural. The roosters crow day and night, and they cannot sleep without plugging their ears.

Food: It is important to bring some toffee, chocolate, biscuits and other high-calorie food reserves. Sometimes you will not eat on time when you are traveling all the way. These things can replenish your energy. You can also bring instant noodles so that you won’t be hungry if you are not used to spicy and sour food in Laos.

Temporary reserve--if you leave the country by land in Banna, pack two boxes of Yunnan mineral water beforehand. You can drink whatever you want. A large bottle of bottled water in Laos costs 15,000 Lao coins, and the smell of bleaching powder is very strong. When your reserves run out, you can consider drinking freshly squeezed juice or cola, both of which are cheaper than mineral water.

Medicines: The first thing is to bring oral Kuining. Malaria is still prevalent in some areas of Laos, mainly concentrated in the eastern mountainous areas, which are some distance away from our self-driving route, but it is better to take precautions. Kuining can get vaccinated at the epidemic prevention station in Banna before leaving the country, but it is more troublesome. The oral version can be taken a few hours before going to the village, which is more convenient. Despite this, it is not recommended to stay in non-tourist villages for food and accommodation because sanitary conditions cannot be guaranteed. The second is to bring anti-mosquito drugs such as Fengyoujing and toilet water. There are relatively few mosquitoes in the Chinese section and Vientiane and Luang Prabang in Laos. When you arrive in Xieng Khouang and Vang Vieng, you need to apply mosquito repellent to your joints before leaving the room. When you arrive in Xayaburi, you need to apply it constantly because it is difficult to see the mosquitoes. The mosquitoes in the Mengping area of ????Xiang are unique in that they will not let go after one bite, and they will immediately become red, swollen and inflamed. Keep appropriate amounts of cold medicine, gastrointestinal medicine, diarrhea medicine, disinfectant and band-aids on hand.

I can’t teach you the language, but when you get there, you should be able to communicate in English.

I hope these can help you, and I hope you have a pleasant journey~~~ ^.^