VIENTIANE: Passengers wanting to travel on the Laos-China Railway Co., Ltd. during the Lao New Year holiday period can buy tickets up to seven days in advance of their planned travel date, instead of just a few days as is normally the case.
The advance ticket purchase plan relates to travel on any day between April 14 and 22, a time when many people take holidays in the northern provinces.
In addition, the company will operate two consecutive EMU trains from April 12-19 (numbers C92/1 and C84/3) to and from Vientiane and Luang Prabang, as it is anticipated that travel on this route will reach peak levels as Luang Prabang is the most popular destination during the Pi Mai Lao holiday.
At the same time, the train operator is adjusting schedules at some stations to accommodate the increasing number of passengers.
Travel on the Laos-China railway is popular because it is convenient, quick and relatively cheap.
The official Pi Mai Lao dates are April 13-16, with extra days tacked on to compensate for the fact that the first two days of the holiday fall on Saturday and Sunday.
City authorities in Luang Prabang have prepared an exciting programme of traditional events to entertain visitors, including a street market at That Luang Square. The first round of the Miss Sangkhan (Miss Lao New Year) competition will take place on April 11 and the final round on April 12. On April 13, Buddha images will be taken out of temples so they can be cleansed by devotees.
On April 14, the Lue ethnic group festival will take place, featuring notable cultural traditions, while people will also visit temples to pour specially prepared water over Buddha images.
On April 15, everyone will take to the streets to throw water over each other and devotees will again go to temples to respectfully pour water over Buddha images.
The programme on April 16 includes almsgiving, a Visit Laos Year tourism parade, a Naga parade, and a lantern parade.
From April 17-19, the city’s governor and high-ranking officials will visit the town’s most revered temples to bathe Buddha statues with perfumed water, and on April 20 will gather at Souvannaphoum Malam temple in Luang Prabang city. - Vientiane Times/ANN
