VIENTIANE: Vientiane province is staging the Sam Meun Toup Feuang (30,000 Straw Hut Village) festival in Meuangfeuang district from Dec 27 to Jan 1, providing an added attraction for tourists.
Traditional thatched houses built for display at the Sam Meun Toup Feuang festival in Meuangfeuang district, Vientiane province.
The managing director of the complex, Vonmanivong Stern, said models of typical house styles favoured by the Lao, Hmong, Khmu and other ethnic groups will be on display.
Stalls set up at the festival will sell local food and there will be live performances and a night market. Visitors can also dress up in traditional costumes and have their photo taken, giving them a fun souvenir.
Some of the houses will be built almost entirely of straw to show how people lived in the past. Their structure and surroundings will reflect the old way of life in Meuangfeuang district, which has now become a tourist hotspot because of its bucolic riverside location.
Visitors can also rent one of the houses for a short while, to experience what it was like to live in such a basic dwelling.
Entrance to the festival is free, according to Lao National Radio.
Meuangfeuang district is blessed with stunning scenery and a riverside setting and has attracted the attention of both Lao and foreign visitors in recent years, earning the nickname the “Guilin of Laos” because of its similarity to the landscape of Guilin in China.
Guilin is considered to be one of the pearls of China’s thriving tourist industry on account of its natural beauty and historic treasures, according to the Travel China Guide.
Meuangfeuang district is easily accessible by road and can be reached in about 90 minutes from Vientiane. Taking the expressway, the exit at Hinheup district will lead you to the town and its relaxing environs, providing a pleasing contrast to the hustle and bustle of the city.
Meuangfeuang district authorities are eyeing tourism revenue of at least 30 billion kip this year, and are hoping to attract more visitors through the upcoming festival. Records show that 146,000 people visited the district in the first 10 months of 2024. - Vientiane Times/ANN
