Officials of Vientiane’s Sangthong district will organize the rice stack festival also called Boun Kongkhao between 27-29 January in Nachalern village.
The district head of the Department of Information and Culture, Mr. Saveng Sanay stated in an interview that the festival is being hosted under the guidance of the Governor of Sangthong, who permitted the Department of Information and Culture to organize the event.
He added that the festival preparations are almost done and that visitors should look forward to their time at the event.
The festival is celebrated by villagers by donating some of the rice they have just harvested, which is then stacked in huge piles. The local district administration then collects the rice which is sold after the festival, and the proceeds is added to the village fund or donated to the local temple.
This year’s festival, according to Mr. Saveng, will also feature various kinds of traditional cultural performances from the village’s Women Union, including displays by 11 local art students. Sports such as football and petanque are also a part of the festival’s events.
According to Vientiane Mai, the rice stack festival is held to preserve the country’s cultural traditions as well as to build awareness among young adults and children to take pride in their generational customs.
The festival also hopes to attract both local and foreign visitors so that they could experience the traditional Lao way of life.
Last month, Houaphanh held a Cherry Blossom Festival after announcing the plant as its provincial flower. This event was part of the province’s efforts to preserve the flora and fauna of the region.
