| |
Guide de voyage pour le LAOs
HISTOIRE
Though archaeologists have discovered stone tools and other artifacts at many sites around Laos that indicate that human settlement in the region dates back as far as 10,000 years, the history of country as it is today truly begins with the first unified kingdom to be established there.
Lane Xang - established by the returning prince, Fa Ngoum, in 1349 - brought together the disparate townships that had grown up across the land. Fa Ngoum also installed Theravada Buddhism as the principle religion of the country. From his capital at Luang Prabang, the charismatic king and brilliant tactician spread the power of his rule throughout present-day Laos and into northern and eastern Thailand .
Under threat from both Siamese, Burmese and Chinese invaders in the sixteenth century, the capital of the faltering Lane Xang was moved to Vieng Chan ( Vientiane ) by King Setthathirat in 1560. The Burmese were not to be put off by this tactical move and finally occupied the city in 1575, holding it for seven years and finally bringing an end to the once great Lane Xang. In the wake of the Burmese retreat, at the end of the sixteenth century, the kingdoms of Luang Prabang and Vieng Chan took the place once filled by Lane Xang.
These were once again united in 1591, under the leadership of King Nokeo Koumane. The seventeenth century saw the new kingdom enter its golden age with European traders exclaiming the capital, Vieng Chan, to be one of the most beautiful cities in southeast Asia. However, this was all to come to an end in less than a century as feudal lords fought over an empty throne and eventually brought about the kingdom's downfall. An unstable three way division of the kingdom, into Luang Prabang, Vieng Chan, and Champasak, left none with sufficient power to repel the ambitions of the new Siamese kingdom of King Thaksin .
Luang Prabang fell to Siamese rule and Vien Chang and Champasak were reduced to vassal status. After years of paying homage to the Siamese kings, an ill-fated war against their rule in 1820 was the undoing of both these kingdoms, and also brought about the total destruction of the once beautiful city of Vieng Chan. European ambitions in the region, at the end of the nineteenth century, were of serious concern to the Siamese kings for many years.
In 1893, to guarantee that the French colonialists would not challenge the country's sovereignty, Siam gave them Laos . The French - soon realising that the colony was not quite the grand acquisition they had hoped, and that the Mekong River's potential as a backdoor trade route into China had been vastly over estimated - made Laos a protectorate and left much of the running of the country to the Lao people. The fall of France to Germany and the Japanese occupation of Indochina during World War II, helped to foment a new breed of nationalism among the Lao people. The situation was exacerbated when Japanese troops forced the pro-French King Sisavang Vong to declare independence from the French in the waning months of the war. With the August 14 1945 surrender of Japan , a power vacuum was left in Laos that the French were at that time unable to refill. For a little over six months Laos was independent, but, with the help of British and Pro-French Lao forces, the colonialists were able to re-occupy Vientiane in April 1946. However, the seeds of liberty had already been sown.
In October 1953, the French - their resources already seriously stretched by the war in Vietnam - finally ceded full independence to Laos . The political situation, however, was to remain unstable for many years, eventually leading to civil war between the North Vietnamese backed Pathet Lao (Land of the Lao) and the US-financed Royalist forces. The January 1973 Paris Accords - which saw the end of US involvement in the Vietnam conflict was followed a month later by a cessation of hostilities between the opposing Lao factions, leading at last to the formation of a coalition government. It was not to last. With the fall of Phnom Penh and Saigon to Communist forces in April 1975, many Royalists saw the eventual takeover of the country by the Pathet Lao as a forgone conclusion and fled to France .
That August, in a symbolic gesture, a force of fifty female Pathet Lao soldiers marched into and liberated Vientiane . The Lao People's Democratic Republic was born on December 2, 1975. Laos entered a period of isolation throughout the rest of the seventies, maintaining diplomatic and economic relations with only Vietnam and the USSR . After failing to establish a successful socialist state modeled on Eastern Bloc collectivization, the Lao government moved towards a more flexible form of socialism - dismantling agricultural co-operatives in 1979, and installing economic reforms in 1986 that opened the way for the introduction of a market economy.
In the last few years, Laos has made further strides towards international acceptance and integration into the global economy. The 1994 opening of the Australian-financed Friendship Bridge - linking Vientiane with Nong Khai in Thailand - and the country's 1997 ASEAN membership are both seen as positive moves towards this goal.
GÉOGRAPHIE
The mighty Mekong in the west and the Annamite Mountains in the east offer natural borders to Thailand and Vietnam respectively, while Laos also shares borders with China in the north, Myanmar in the northwest and Cambodia in the south. With over half of this landlocked country's 236,800sq. km densely forested, and 70% of it mountainous, it is hardly surprising that a profusion of rare flora and over 1,200 species of wildlife finds a home beneath its tropical canopy.
The country's highest peak, at 2,820m, can be found in the mountainous ranges of northeastern Laos, in the province Xiang Khouang, However, nearly equally as impressive are the mountains at the southern end of the Annamite range which reach heights of 2,600m. The Khammouanne and Bolaven plateaus dominate the central region of the Annamites.
Almost all of the rivers and streams in Laos eventually end up feeding into the Mekong through one of its 15 tributaries, making a total of 2,400km of waterways and feeding the Mekong with more than half of its overall water flow. Though averaging rainfalls of between 1360mm, in Luang Prabang, to 3700mm on the Boloven Plateau during the June to October monsoon season, Laos regularly suffers from water shortages in the low-lying Mekong Delta plains. This can adversely effect the rice crops that account for almost 80% of the country's agricultural land.
CLIMAT
Saison chaude de mars à mai : + de 30 degrés. Mais en altitude il fait plus froid entre décembre et janvier, moins de 15 degrés.
PEUPLE
Une des plus faibles densités d'Asie, avec 19 habitants par kilimètre carré, et une population de 5,4 millions d'habitantsn people, avec 68 différents groupes ethniques. Ils se divisent en trois groupes selon, leur langue, leur culture et leur traditions. 68 % de la population vit sur les bords du Mékong. Les montagnes du Laos sont peuplées par les Lao Thing, 22 % de la population. Les The Lao Soung représentent 9% de la population, le reste ce sont les ethnies chinoises et vietnamiennes.
LANGUE
Appartenant aux langues Tai Kadai, le Lao est une langue tonal, proche de sa cousine Thai
RELIGION
Le bouddhisme a été introduit par des moines, ça représente aujourd'hui 90% de la population.
SOCIAL
Les Laotiens se saluent par un geste de prière appelé nop. Une jeune personne ou une personne de statut inférieur doit faire le nop au plus vieux. Le salut à l'occidentale se répend de plus en plus, tandis qu'un sourire conjugué à un hochement de la tête est toujours considéré comme impoli, tous comme les embrassades.
GOUVERNEMENT
Le pays est dirigé par le Président, qui est élu pour 5 ans par l'assemblée nationale. Il agit aussi en tant que commandant en chef des forces armées du pays. Le sommet du pouvoir exécutif du gouvernement laotien est le conseil des ministres, dirigé par la Premier Ministre, et un vice premier ministre.
Les 16 provinces du pays sont divisées en districts et villages. Vietntiane d.étient sa propre municipalité.
Lourdement dépendante des aides étrangères (Suède, Japon, Thailande, Taiwan et Australie), l'économie du Laos a fait des progrès spectaculaires depuis 1997. Les réformes économiques entreprises par le gouvernement, ont amené une croissance de 7% par an entre 1988 et 1996. Cependant, avec la crise financière de 1997, ce chiffre est tombé à 1,5 %.
FESTIVALS
Janvier
Bun Pha Wet - Falling on different dates throughout the month - so that people can exchange invitations with friends and families in different villages to join in their celebrations - this festival is a commemoration of the Jataka, the life story of Lord Buddha as Prince Vestsantara. The story is recited in temples throughout the country and this is considered a particularly auspicious time for ordination as a monk.
Février
Magha Puja - Held on the night of the full moon, this festival commemorates the original teachings of Lord Buddha given to over a thousand monks who came spontaneously to hear him speak. The festival is marked by grand parades of candle-bearing worshippers circling their local temples, merit-making, and much religious music and chanting.
Vietnamese Tet & Chinese New Year - Celebrated in Vientiane , Pakse and Savannakhet by the larger Vietnamese and Chinese communities, who close their businesses for several days during this period, this festival combines visits to temples and merit making with noisy parties, and hundreds of strings of firecrackers.
Mars
Boun Khoun Khao - A harvest festival celebrated at local temples
Avril
Boun Pimai - Lasting several days in mid-April, this is the celebration of the Lao New Year and is a combination of merriment and meditation. Similar to festivals at this time of year in other Southeast Asian countries - particularly Thailand - Boun Pimai is celebrated with parades, dancing, singing and enthusiastic water-throwing. The religious aspects of the festival are most apparent in Luang Prabang, where water pouring ceremonies are used to Buddha statues are worshiped with water pouring ceremonies. Temple compounds are further decorated with small sand Stupas, offered as merit towards good fortune and health.
Mai
Labour Day 1st May - public holiday
Visakha Puja - Chanting, religious instruction, and candlelit processions highlight this temple festival in celebration of the birth, enlightenment and death of the Buddha.
Boun Bang Fai (rocket festival) - With its origins in pre-Buddhist rain-invoking ceremonies, this festival now coincides with the Lao Visakha Puja celebrations. Parades, songs, dances and partying all lead to an explosive climax as huge, ornate, homemade bamboo rockets are blessed and fired into the skies to invite the rains. Rocket-makers earn both merit and honour if their creations fly high. This dramatic festival is also celebrated in north east Thailand .
Juin/Juillet
Children's Day (1st June - public holiday)
Khao Phansaa - Marking the beginning of the three-month Buddhist Lent, which commences at the full moon in July and continues until the full moon in October, this is considered a particularly auspicious time for Lao men to enter the monkhood and is marked by numerous ordination ceremonies.
Août
Haw Khao Padap Din - Devoted to remembering and paying respect to the dead, it is marked by the macabre ceremony of exhuming previously buried bodies, cleaning the remains, and then cremating them on the night of the full moon. Relatives then present gifts to the monks who have chanted on behalf of those who have passed away.
Octobre
Awk Phansaa (Awk Watsa) - Marking the end of the three-month Buddhist Lent on the day of the full moon. Monks are at last permitted to leave the temple and are presented with gifts. One particularly beautiful aspect is Lai Hua Fai. On the eve of Awk Phansaa people gather at the nearest body of water to release dozens of small banana-leaf boats decorated with candles, incense and small flowers, in a celebration similar to the Thai Loy Krathong.
Bun Nam (water festival) - In riverside towns such as Vientiane, Luang Prabang and Savannakhet, the highly competitive Bun Nam boat races (suang heua) are held during the same time as Awk Phansaa. Smaller communities sometimes hold these races on National Day on 2nd December
Novembre
Boun That Luang - Though celebrated at many temples around the country, this festival is traditionally centred at That Luang in Vientiane . Fairs, beauty contests, music and fireworks take place throughout the week of the full moon, and end with a candlelight procession (wien thien) around the temple of That Luang .
Decembre
Lao National Day (2nd December - public holiday) - Streets strewn with national flags and banners, processions, parades, and speeches are the highlights of this celebration for the victory of the proletariat in 1975.
Jours fériés
- Jan 1: New Year's Day
- Jan 6: Pathet Lao Day
- Jan 20: Army Day
- Feb 1: Chinese New Year
- Mar 8: International Women's Day
- Mar 22: Day of the People's Day
- Apr 13-15: Lao New Year (Pi Mai)
- May 1: Labour Day
- May 16: Birth of Buddha
- Jun 1: Children's Day
- Jul 13: Khao Pansa (Buddhist Fast begins)
- Aug 13: 13 Lao Issara (Day of the Free Laos)
- Oct 5: Bouk ok Pansa (Buddhist Fast ends)
- Oct 12: Day of Liberation
- Dec 2: National Day
QUAND VISITER
The most popular time of year to visit the region is between November and April. With the exception of the mountainous colder parts of Yunnan and Myanmar , the weather is at its most comfortable during this time. However, this means that in some places, accommodation may be harder to find in the high season.
The hot season, from March to May is very dry, but in some places, during this time, some rivers are harder to navigate, and boat journeys in remote places may not be possible.
The rainy season, generally from June to September is for many people the best time to travel - despite the fact that it rains, it never gets that cold, and nearly all hotels and guesthouses have rooms available - often a lot cheaper than during the high season.
Se rendre en avion
Pas de vols intercontinentaux pour Vientiane. La plupart des gens viennent par Bangkok, le hub le plus proche. On peut venir par :
Le Cambodge : Phnom Penh
La Chine : Kunming
Le Myanmar : Yangon
La Thailande : Bangkok et Chiang Mai
Le Vietnam : Hanoi et Ho Chi Minh Ville
Les vols de Singapour et la Malaisie ont été suspendus.
Par la terre
De Thailande
- Nong Khai and the FRIENDSHIP BRIDGE . Xiang Khong, Chiang Rai Province to Huay Xai, Bokeo Province Nakorn Phanom to Tha Kek, Khammouane Province Mukdaharn to Savannakhet Chong Mek, Ubon Rathchathani Province to Pakse Houay Kone, Nan to Xaingnabouri
Du Vietnam
Lao Bao, Khung Tri to Dan Savan, Savannakhet Lak Sao, Vinh to Kaew Neua, Bolikhamsai
De Chine
Mengla , Yunnan to Boten, Luang Nam Tha
VISA
ENTRY REQUIREMENTS:
Passeport et visa sont requis. Il se fait à l'arrivée à l'aéroport pour les touristes et hommes d'affaires munies de 30 dollars et deux photos d'identité à Wattay Airport , Vientiane ; Friendship Bridge , Vientiane ; et Luang Prabang Airport. Pas possible de faire le visa à Chong Mek. Les touristes ont en général un visa de 15 jours ou 30 jours si c'est fait par l'ambassade.
LECTURES RECOMMANDÉES
Laos (Culture Shock! Guides)
by Stephen Mansfield
Written for people moving to Laos , this book gives an excellent insight into Lao lifestyle from a western perspective
Vietnam , Cambodia and Laos Handbook
by Michael Buckley
This book is an excellent guide, especially for those planning to travel extensively in Indochina
Lonely Planet Laos 3rd Edition
by Joe Cummings
The classic guide, now in its third edition, used in conjunction with the Travel Atlas and Lao Phrase book makes an excellent travelling companion
Lonely Planet Laos : A Travel Atlas
by Joe Cummings
A small, but consise and detailed map to help you get around
Lonely Planet Lao Phrasebook
by Joe Cummings
A phrasebook for most occasions - all the traveller will need
Laos Handbook
by Jane Bickerseth & Joshua Eliot
Excellent handbook from Footprint guides, very well researched with good maps and illustrations throughout
NATURE
Laos has rich vegetation, mainly monsoon forest. Monsoon forest consists of a top canopy of hardwood trees like dipterocarps that can reach 30m high. The middle canopy consists of smaller trees such as teak and Asian rosewood. The undergrowth is bamboo, smaller trees, shrubs and grasses. Tropical palms and orchids are common, as are a variety of tropical fruit trees.
Parts of the Annamite chain are covered with tropical evergreen forest, where rainfall is highest and in the south, tropical pine forests can be found.
Laos has a large number of animal species, including as many as 500 different birds. Reptiles include many snakes, including king cobras. There are a large number of lizards, from the small geckos to 2m long monitor lizards. Mammals include wild cats, bears, leopards and tigers. There are up to 500 wild elephants in Laos , although more than twice that number are in captivity. There are a number of rare species in Laos which include rhinos and wild cattle.
NOTES IMPORTANTES
Visitors travelling by air will automatically register with immigration police at Luang Prabang airport. All other visitors must register with immigration police on arrival and departure in Luang Prabang. Failure to do so will result in a stiff fine and you may have to return back to Luang Prabang to complete formalities. Your hotel or guest house will assisit you with the formalities.
Luang Prabang - Out and About
Pak Ou Caves
Situated 25km upriver from Luang Prabang at the confluence of the Ou and Mekong rivers are two caves, Tham Ting and Tham Phun, that house countless numbers of Buddah images that have been left over hundreds of years by devotees. The caves are best accessed by boat from LuangPrabang, either a slow boat, that takes about two hours to reach or by speedboat.
Perhaps the most enjoyable way to visit the caves is to take your time and enjoy a quiet lunch at the caves - there is a covered rest area there where you can relax, enkoy lunch and take your time overlooking the Mekong river.
Ban Xang Hai
Near Pak Ou caves, downriver towards Luang Prabang is the village of Ban Xang Hai , famous for its manufacture of rice whiskey. The villagers carry water from the Mekong and use it to soak rice in large jars which sit for several days. The fermented rice yields alcohol which can be drunk as a cloudy liquid, or distilled to make a fire water.
Kuang Si Waterfalls
About 30km south of Luang Prabang, passing through many ethnic minority villages are the magnificent Kuang Sii Waterfalls. There are trails all around the falls and visitors can swim in the lower pools. The falls has a covered area for eating and there are several stalls serving simple Lao food and drink. A full day should be allowed for a trip to the falls.
Ban Phanom Village
Situated four km from LuangPrabang is a small village famous for its weavings. There is a small market set up here, and you can wander in the village and see village women weaving underneath their homes
Xieng Khouang Province
Xieng Khouang province is situated in the north of Laos , a province of green montains and karst limestone. Much of the province was heavily bombed during the Vietnam war and old war scrap is used in building houses throughout the province.
The capital of Xieng Khouang is Phonsavan. Situated at an altitude of 1,200m is an excellent climate. Decmber and January can be chilly so bring a light jacket or fleece for cool evenings and mornings.
Xieng Khouang - Getting There
Lao Aviation flies to Savannakhet from Vientiane - for flight information, please click here for Lao Aviation's flight schedule.
Buses run from from Vientiane and Luang Prabang. The journey is long and arduous, taking up to three days.
The Plain of jars is the biggest attraction of the province. Situated near Phonsavan are several grassy areas on which stand stone jars, about 1 to 2.5m high. The jars are about 2,000 years old but nobody knows the true story about them or how they came to be there. Local legend says that they were made to ferment rice wine after a victory against a wicked chieftan in the 6th century.
Kham Hot Springs
In Kham district, 52km north of Phonsavan there are two hot springs ; Bo Noi (Little Spring) and Bo Yai ( Big Spring ). At Bo Yai there is a bungalow resort for bathing in the springs where the water can reach 60 degrees celcius. |
|
