‘King’s daughters’ vie for Miss Laos New Year

Blessed offspring: Pageant winner Mila (centre) with six contestants, each symbolising King Kabinlaphom’s seven daughters, at the Wat Xiengthong temple in Luang Prabang. — AFP

Luang Prabang: Wearing gold-­embroidered silk, faces thick with makeup, a line-up of seven Laotian beauty queens greet cheering supporters at the annual new year beauty contest in Luang Prabang.

But this is no regular pageant: the contestants are stand-ins for the seven blessed daughters of Laos’ legendary heavenly King Kabinla­phom competing at the country’s most famous beauty contest.

“Everyone wants to be Miss Laos New Year,” said spectator Kini, who was cheering on her sister, Mila Douangmixay.

Entering the contest is no easy feat. Contestants must be under 18 and are chosen by a local committee that first selects up to 30 girls.

Numbers are then whittled down to seven contestants – all symbolising the King’s daughters – by a panel of judges and voting fans who size up the contestants on stage.

The pageant is a highlight of days-long Buddhist new year celebrations that draw thousands of worshippers and tourists to the normally sleepy city of Luang Prabang.

For many, the hottest ticket in town is the new year pageant, known as “Nang Sang Khan”, where some fans who don’t make it inside clamour to peek over fencing around the event.

Everyone gets a chance to see the girls again at the mainstay parade on new year’s day, when the girls walk to the shimmering golden Wat Xien Thong temple, one of Laos’ oldest and most sacred, to make offerings.But only one winner will hold the honour after festivities die down next week, and she will spend the following 12 months making public appearances until the next blessed “daughter” takes over. — AFP