What should I pay attention to on my first business trip to Vientiane, Laos?

Necessary anti-mosquito and anti-snake drugs, bring some special gifts if you have business dealings.

Understand some folk customs to avoid problems or unpleasantness, which may lead to misunderstanding.

Every nation has its own traditional customs and taboos. Therefore, if you travel to Laos or live there for a long time, you should know this common sense to avoid unpleasant things.

Laos are used to holding hands when they meet. The handshake ceremony is basically not used in rural areas, but only used in cities and upper class. When some Miao and Yao meet, they bow with their fists, just as China people used to do. There are two kinds of hand folding ceremonies in Laos: one is that the palms are straight, the fingers are close together, and the lips are closed. The other is to bow to each other with your hands folded, which is only used when you have special respect for each other. Greet people you know when you meet and break up, but acquaintances can just say hello without giving gifts. Under normal circumstances, young people should take the initiative to greet the elderly, women should take the initiative to greet men, and the host should take the initiative to greet the guests (but the host only greets the female guests without taking the initiative to say hello), and the latter should reciprocate. When shaking hands, according to western custom, it is best for a man to take off his hat before shaking hands.

The Lao people are hospitable, and the most common and grand etiquette for receiving guests is "matchmaking", which is called "Bashi" in Lao. Whether it is to greet distinguished guests, wish a happy birthday, or wish travelers a safe journey and hope that the sick will recover soon, it can be held. Most of the people who tied the thread were venerable old people in the village, and the monks were invited to read the congratulatory message solemnly. While chanting the words of blessing, the old man tied the thread soaked in perfume to the guest's wrist. When tying the thread, all the people attending the ceremony should face the old man with their hands folded and kneel on the ground. The host will tie the thread to the guests in turn according to their age or position, and the tied person will raise a hand to his forehead as a gift during the ceremony. At the end of the ceremony, guests should put their hands together and say "Satu", which means "I hope so". In order to express gratitude, guests can also tie the thread for the host in turn. The thread tied to your wrist should be worn for at least 3 days to show courtesy and respect.

Drinking altar wine is also a traditional etiquette for Laos to welcome guests. When visiting the old home, guests should drink altar wine and can't refuse it, otherwise the host will think that the family will be unlucky. When drinking jar wine, put the wine in the jar or urn, insert a few bamboo tubes, and everyone will sit around and talk while drinking water until the wine tastes weak, and everyone will break up happily.

When greeting an old man, if you know his name, you can call him by his first name instead of his last name. But in order to show respect, according to different objects, different words should be added before their names, such as "Dao" for men with higher social status, "Niang" for women and "Zhao" for princes. For those who don't know their names, they call the old man "Ye Bao", the old lady "Meyer", the eldest brother "Ai Ye", the elder sister "Qi" and the younger brother and sister "Ye Nong". In life, Laotians themselves are used to calling them by their first names and never by their surnames.

Every ethnic group in Laos has its own traditional life customs. For example, the old clan has a strict distinction between using the river water next to the village. The upper section is a place to drink water, the middle section is a place for men to bathe, and the lower section is a place for women to bathe. When taking water, as long as there are public appliances such as bamboo tubes at the water source, you can't directly scoop water with your own appliances. Another example is to take off your shoes before entering the old people's homes, and outsiders are not allowed to enter the back room. After entering the house, you usually sit on the floor, and you can't point your feet at others when sitting; Men cross their legs, while women put their feet on the back of their knees. Others cannot talk through people, especially women. If you must do this, bow your head and say "I'm sorry".

Old people think that the top of their heads is the noblest place. Don't touch other people's heads, especially children's heads. You must take off your shoes before entering the Buddhist temple.

Thai residence is a high-rise residence, which consists of three parts: macro enjoyment, grid and harmony. Macro enjoyment refers to residence, grid is an extension of balcony at the end of residence, and harmony is also an extension of residence, mostly at the head end of residence. According to Thai custom, foreign women, pregnant women in their own homes, raw fish, raw meat and other taboo things must enter the house through the "grid", and the first pillar of "harmony" at the head of the house is the place where gods are worshipped. Stairs are placed at the main entrance, only for men or older women to go up and down stairs.

Most Yi people believe in ghosts and gods and often hold ghost worship activities. The whole village worships ghosts and outsiders are not allowed to enter the village. When the Yi people are sick, they are afraid to meet strangers or outsiders. At this time, patients' families usually put leaves and branches on the door as signs. If you see a hexagonal sign of bamboo sticks hanging on the door or under the eaves, it means that this family is haunted and outsiders are not allowed to enter. Yi people also have other taboos, such as strangers can't go in and out through the back door; You can't lie through the door when you sleep (they think it will block the entry and exit of the god of happiness); Don't make any noise when entering the village. Don't whistle or trumpet.

The Miao people in Laos have many taboos in food, clothing, housing and transportation. If there is something at home, insert branches at the door, indicating that outsiders are not allowed to enter; Babies are not allowed to enter the house before the full moon; In case of funeral, sacrifice and other activities, outsiders are not allowed to break in without the owner's permission; Don't sleep with your head facing the door; Indoor shrines should not be moved casually.

In addition to many taboos in offering sacrifices to ghosts and doing things, the Yao nationality in Laos also stipulates that it is forbidden to offer sacrifices to tigers for three days during the Spring Festival, and outsiders are also prohibited from entering the village. Dog meat is forbidden. Some Yao people don't eat beef and avoid hanging white mosquito nets.

Laos and Thailand mostly live near rivers and streams, and there are strict differences in the use of river water near villages: the upper section is a place for drinking water, and bathing and washing clothes are not allowed; The middle section is where men bathe, and the lower section is where women bathe. When taking water, as long as there are public appliances such as bamboo tubes at the water source, you can't directly scoop water with your own appliances. Indoor water is different, too. Generally speaking, the water in small bamboo tubes or gourds is mostly used for drinking, but not for washing.

There are not many public toilets in Laos. In rural areas, if there is no toilet, you should go to hidden places, such as bamboo forests and bushes, but you can't pee in rivers, rice fields, vegetable fields, orchards, pigsty and cowshed. Take off your shoes when you enter the old clan's house, and you are not allowed to enter the inner room when you enter the outer room. You can't spit in the fire pit, bake shoes and socks, or sit down or put things in the place where you worship the gods. After entering the house, you usually sit on the floor. When sitting, don't point your feet at others. Men cross their legs, while women put their feet on the back of their knees. When you speak, you can't go through people, especially women. If you must do this, bow your head and say "I'm sorry". Respect and pay attention to etiquette for the elderly, lie flat in the house and don't clean casually. You must ask the master's permission first.

In addition, Laos and Thailand have many other taboos in their lives. For example, the top of the head is the most noble place of the old clan, and you can't touch the top of others' heads, especially those of children, which is very different from the habits of some ethnic groups in China. When offering sacrifices to the village, outsiders cannot camp alone. Sacrifice fasting for 5 days every year; During this period, it is forbidden to bring water and spring rice. , which means that you can't touch things or sacrifices that symbolize Zhai Shen. "It is forbidden to knit every month 15 and 30 days, and no trees will be planted within 7 days from March 3 every year. Don't take things out of the house. Take off your shoes when you enter a Buddhist temple, don't touch the Buddha statue casually, and don't kill or cut down bodhi trees and Toona sinensis in or near the Buddhist temple. Don't take things out of the Buddhist temple, and don't bring things that monks are forbidden to eat, such as dog meat and horse meat.

Snake meat and wine bring people to Buddhist temples. Outsiders can't eat with monks. Outsiders can drink water from ponds, tanks or pots in Buddhist temples, but they can't drink water from monks' kettles unless the monks give it to you. The thatch and bamboo near the village are necessary materials for construction, and most of them have owners, so they can't be cut down casually.

There are still some local problems that need attention:

I often visit temples all over Laos. Remember not to wear shorts when there are such activities, but I should still bring a pair of brightly colored shorts to show off when Wanrong drifts. If you buy it locally in Wanrong, it costs 3-5 yuan, and the fabric is not good.

It is best to bring two pairs of sunglasses, and it is best not to wear them when drifting, otherwise it may become another collection of Southern Song River.

Shoes should be specially reminded. In addition to walking around in Rome, wearing colorful slippers, you should also bring a pair of sports shoes and sandals suitable for hiking. Sports shoes are used to explore holes and climb mountains, and lace-up sandals are specially used to wade across the river. Shooting drifters in Wanrong and elephants in Wuli, Ye Sha, wearing slippers is easy to slip and get hurt.

Facial care: 30 times sunscreen, sunglasses and cool hat are the best. There is no winter along the way, and it is sunny all year round. Drivers and people sitting in the front row should especially avoid getting sunburned. Moisturizing cream and conditioner can be kept at home, which is not needed at all in these warm and humid areas.

Daily necessities: Laos has no three-way power outlet, so it needs to bring its own patch panel.

Except for the main streets in Vientiane and Luang Prabang, there are no street lamps in Laos. It is recommended to bring flashlights or headlights.

Consumables in hotels and youth hostels in Laos generally only provide roll paper and a bottle of drinking water, so you should bring your own toiletries. Also bring some paper towels and wet paper towels for later use. Bring a pack of cotton swabs, not for makeup, but to block your ears at night. Youth hostels in Laos are mostly wooden buildings, and there is no sound at all. You can hear snoring downstairs from upstairs. Moreover, there are many chickens in Laos, both in cities and in the countryside. The cock crows day and night, and he can't sleep without plugging his ears.

Food: It is important to bring some high-calorie foods such as toffee, chocolate and biscuits. Sometimes you don't eat on time when you run all the way. These things can supplement your physical strength. You can also bring instant noodles. Laos tastes sour and spicy, so it is not hungry.

Temporary storage-if you leave the country by land in Banna, you must pack two boxes of Yunnan mineral water before you can drink it. The bottled water in Laos is 15000 old coins, and the bleach in it is very strong. When the reserve is used up, you can consider drinking freshly squeezed juice or coke, which is cheaper than mineral water.

Drugs: First, take Kuining orally. There will still be malaria epidemic in some areas of Laos, mainly concentrated in the eastern mountainous areas, which is far from our self-driving route, but it is better to take precautions. Quinine can be injected at the epidemic prevention station in Banna before leaving the country, but it is more troublesome. It is more convenient to take oral medicine a few hours before going to the village. However, it is not recommended to stay in non-tourist villages because the sanitary conditions cannot be guaranteed. The second is to bring anti-mosquito drugs such as essential balm and toilet water. There are relatively few mosquitoes in Vientiane and Luang Prabang in China and Laos. In Chuanqi and Wanrong, mosquito-killing drugs need to be applied to the joints before leaving the room. In Wuli, Ye Sha, it needs to be applied continuously, because the species of mosquitoes in Meng Ping, where elephants are watched, are unique, and they will not let go of their mouths when biting, and they will become red and swollen immediately. Cold medicine, gastrointestinal medicine, diarrhea medicine, disinfectant and band-aid are all available.

I can't even teach you the language, but when I get to the local area, I should be able to communicate in English.

I hope these can help you, and I hope you have a nice trip ~ ~ ~.