Laos - Lan Chang - Documentary

[Music] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] lying lazily on a bend of the Mekong River and in great contrast with its lively neighbor Thailand which spreads beyond the opposite shore the city of van Jian is the peaceful capital of sleepy Laos the country is located in the center of the indo-chinese Peninsula without access to the sea and covers an area slightly bigger than Great Britain the ante on would probably win the prize for the most tranquil capital city in the world the traffic is almost non-existent most of the public places closed before 11 p.m. and with all the vegetation that grows between the buildings the city center looks more like a provincial village than a capital city [Music] [Applause] [Music] even though many roads are being repaired or are still under construction the city still has its charm [Music] the old part of the city along the river and the big central boulevard with six lanes along which the main city monuments live are clear signs that in the past honor and glory were not alien to the Lao people The Potter's eye is one of the best examples of this this big Monument built in 1960 and inspired by the Arc de Triomphe in Paris was erected with American funds which were given to the city to build an airport seen from a distance it is very similar to its bigger brother in parents but the fine work and the bar reliefs clearly show the typical Lao architects [Music] the city also has dozens of temples which helped to create a solemn atmosphere of strong traditional influence but the heart and core of the nation is patois the great golden stupa [Music] the name means the world's precious and sacred stupa and is both a symbol of the Buddhist religion and an emblem of the national sovereignty of Laos legend has it that the original temple was built by Indian missionaries in the 3rd century AD to house one of the Buddha's bones [Music] as a consequence of numerous Wars the stupa was at times of and then restored and later on completely rebuilt [Music] what we see today is a result of the last reconstruction by the French which dates back less than 100 years and deliberately reflects the original Lao style [Music] even though at first sight the city still seems to be deeply immersed in ancient traditions tie investments as well as a great quantity of foreign aid are creating a quick and unexpected economic growth [Music] the opening of the Friendship Bridge in 1994 has further helped the growth of commercial relationships with nearby Thailand situated 20 kilometres south of the capital it is one of the first bridges to be built across the four thousand kilometer long Mekong River because of this the bridge has acquired great strategic importance for trade relation within the Indo Chinese Peninsula besides having an important economic role for fishery the transport of goods and for the growing industry the river is also a part of the citizens everyday life [Music] during the hottest days of the year the wide sand banks along its shores become a bathing and recreational area during its 10 centuries of history vientiane has experienced times of fragile independence as a city state but also times of great glory and prestige as the capital city of the powerful realm of lan chang in the 16th and 17th centuries as this kingdom fell the territory of Laos was first controlled by the SIA means today's Thais and later by the French who made it part of their colony of French Indochina and who gave it its modern name of Laos [Music] [Music] after the independence granted by the French in 1953 the country went through 20 years of government changes and coup d'etat until in 1975 the Communists finally took control and still maintain it to the present day [Music] moving north from the capital city the country is soon dominated by mountain chains with Peaks that reach a height of 2,800 meters [Music] the Continental monsoon climate of the country is strongly influenced by this vast mountain region [Music] recent reconstruction works have notably improved the road conditions and it is now relatively easy to travel in these areas [Music] steep inaccessible cliffs alternate with valleys and vast Highland plateaus [Applause] [Applause] [Music] before completely entering the maze of rugged mountains lies the peaceful town of vangvieng one of the main tourist destinations of Laos it's Fame among travelers is not undeserved since the town lies in a beautiful valley cultivated with rice and vegetables and surrounded by impressive and mighty limestone mountains [Music] along the valley flows an idyllic River which is fed by underground streams thanks to these streams the water is fresh and clear [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] the region offers many interesting activities from kayaking to tubing lazy way to go downstream [Applause] there is also a large quantity of caves and the limestone ranges are a favorite destination for rock climbers [Applause] a little north of vang Vieng the countryside becomes even more spectacular with huge limestone peaks rising from the valleys almost as if they are warning the visitor of the inhospitable mountains lying ahead [Applause] the limestone formations of this area are among the biggest in Southeast Asia [Music] over the centuries these mountainous regions have become the home of nomadic tribes migrating from tibet and china as a result of their geographical isolation these people have preserved their ancient traditions they grow vegetables and cereals breed domestic animals and manufacture brooms in fact when traveling in these regions it's common to see people whipping bundles of straw on the asphalt of the road to free them from pollen which are then used to manufacture the small brooms so common across all of Southeast Asia the population of Laos is made up of four main ethnic groups two of which reside in the mekong valleys and two of which live in the mountains making up a total population of about six million people [Music] [Applause] within each group they are further divided into tribes some of these tribes dwell in small villages and some of them are still semi-nomadic they spend their lives almost completely unaware of most of the comforts of modern Western civilization as there are no schools in these small villages education is rudimentary and mainly given at home in the valleys however children can be seen going to school every day on their bicycles [Music] in the settlements along the mekong banks a moderate trade of handmade articles has developed [Music] each village has its own specialty [Music] some villages produce rice paper which is then used for other handicrafts other villages specialize in weaving silk and finally decorated cotton clothes this village used to manufacture clay pots but today the inhabitants concentrate on the distillation of Lao Lao the typical rice liquor allows in order to give flavor to the liquid various herbs are added but also colored reptiles giant centipedes and scorpions [Music] these are captured alive in the jungle and held in captivity until their sad ending when the rice liquor is distilled [Applause] [Music] in the province of sink Wong there is a vast plateau at around 1200 meters above sea level covered with forests and cultivations and surrounded by mountains the provinces main town upon Sivan is reminiscent of the towns of the Far West in America a main road around which the city develops located in these Highlands is one of the most enigmatic mysteries of lao history the Plain of Jars big jar shaped monoliths of stone lying in isolated areas according to the legends the jars were built to celebrate the victory of a national hero against a cruel tyrant and were made with a special type of cement composed of buffalo skin sand water and sugar key their purpose was to store rice wine during fermentation [Music] today it is believed that the jars were actually carved from big sandstone and granite boulders of various sizes this would easily explain the range of weights which vary from 600 kilograms for the smaller jars up to six tonnes for the biggest [Music] theories have been formulated as to the use of these jars from funeral urns to storage places for rice as well as for the fermentation of rice liquor but no actual proof has been discovered to support any of these theories lids have also been found close to some of the jars the French archaeologist Madeleine Kalani who researched the site during the 1930s found bronze and stone objects in one of the jars her research is still today the most important scientific study on the megaliths of Laos the jars are generally believed to be two thousand years old but due to the total lack of organic materials to analyze it is impossible to give a more accurate dating many questions still surround the sites but few answers have been given and until further archaeological investigation there is little hope that the mysteries hidden in the plain of jars will be revealed [Music] of the Mekong rivers total length of 4,200 kilometers 1865 kilometers flow through Lao territory or along its borders thus shaping its topography [Music] the Mekong and its tributaries are an important fish source one of the main components of the Laos diet [Music] the water level of the rivers and Laos varies considerably depending on the season during the dry season the wide expanse of rich soil and sand stretching along the rivers shores is intensely exploited for growing vegetables fragile bamboo bridges are built across the river every season to give farmers access to their fields the upper part of the Mekong north of Luang Prabang is still almost completely wild besides a few small villages the area is void of settlements [Music] through the millennia the river has dug its way through the impassable landscape of hills and mountain ranges and during the dry season big and threatening rocks rise from the rivers waters [Music] some parts of the river are only a few dozen meters wide and it's hard to imagine that 3000 kilometers down river in the Delta region its width can be measured in kilometers this stretch of the river can hardly be navigated by big boats especially during the dry season and projects have been developed to widen the narrowest parts by using explosives with the obvious dangers to the rivers ecosystem however work has not yet started [Music] the traffic is mainly composed of middle sized boats which carry travelers from the north of Thailand down to Luang Prabang in the vicinity of this city smaller boats cruise the river for the modest local train or for carrying tourists to visit the villages along the river [Music] small floating platforms provide gasoline to the rivers traffic the city of Luang Prabang despite its small population of 30,000 people is still held in great consideration for its remarkable historical importance and for being the cradle of Lao culture [Music] after being split for centuries in too many city-states present-day Laos and eastern Thailand were unified in the 14th century under the realm of lan chang literally translated into kingdom of a million elephants with its capital city in Luang Prabang for over 300 years through periods of expansion and reshaping the kingdom of LAN Chang was respected as an influential opponent by the other kingdoms in Southeast Asia that was the golden period of the lao people's Dominion even after the capital was moved to the NT on in the 16th century Luang Prabang kept its role as an important political center for the duration of the Liang Chun Kingdom [Applause] [Music] the city is today slowly awakening after decades of sleep and isolation due to wars revolutions and the lack of easy access routes [Music] [Applause] the main tourist attraction of the country the city is situated on the banks of the Mekong in the middle of an enchanting landscape of hills and mountains [Music] [Applause] [Music] with its countless temples and colonial buildings as well as its great ethnic variety the city embodies the true character of Laos the tranquil atmosphere gives a pleasant feeling where time loses its importance every day at dawn the streets of luang prabang fill up with monks who walk along the main road and gather the offerings of the people [Music] in the Buddhist countries of Southeast Asia it is common practice that every young man spends some time as a monk in a temple [Music] in the city of Luang Prabang alone there are 66 Buddhist temples Buddhism was introduced here in the 14th century AD and today about 60% of the population follows this religion Buddhist influence is present everywhere in Laos the temples are built not only in the city centers but also on the tops of hills or inside caves [Music] some of these are literally invaded with small statues representing the Buddha [Music] statues and representations of mythological characters whose purpose is to protect the temple and the Buddha are often found inside the temple area the most frequent being the Nagas the Dragons serpents and the Yak the giant guardian of the temple Lao people often go to the temple to pray and to practice traditional customs which will ensure them good luck one of these customs is to purchase a little bird in a cage and let it free near the temple there are also many people in the country who follow the cult of spirit worship this cult even though it has been made illegal by the communist government is still widely followed by the hill tribes and plays an important part in the culture of the country [Music] [Laughter] the Buddha Park located near vientiane is another example of the religious variety of Laos [Music] as the name suggests the park displays dozens of statues and sculptures of Buddhist and Hindu influence [Music] the related movement was founded by a shaman who merged the doctrines of Buddhism and Hinduism into a new cryptic philosophy he had a notable following not only in Laos but also in Thailand where he fled after the communist takeover in 1975 [Music] the bizarre sculptures represent all of the possible gods of both religions [Music] louse stands today on the doorstep of the modern world the first signals are already apparent in cities even though most of the country still tied to traditions and old lifestyles the country has one of the most uncontaminated ecosystems of Asia thanks to its modest industrial development and to its low population density this strong presence of nature gives a feeling of peacefulness which makes it easy to tune in with the people who live in these lands the long isolation the lack of communication and a government reluctant to open its doors have resulted in the preservation of traditions and customs which have been lost in the surrounding countries [Music] the traditional Lao saying avoid all unnecessary stress is still evident today in the peaceful way of life [Music] this attitude is what fascinates the visitor but at the same time it is the biggest barrier to the growing desire of progress which is clearly visible in the cities among the younger generations who are not unfamiliar with the technological and social evolution of the surrounding world the challenge for the future of Laos will be to find the balance between the preservation of its cultural traditions and the development of new attitudes which will enable the country to close the gap with the rest of the world and thus guarantee a proper level of self-sufficiency [Music] [Music] you [Music] [Music]

Channel: Tarsier TV

Views: 287,805

Rating: 4.8148732 out of 5

Keywords: Travel, Documentary, Travel documentary, Travel footage, Mirko Kulig, Patrick Kulig, Tarsier, Tarsier TV, Laos, Lao, Lan Chang, Land, One million elephants, land of a million elephants, laos (country), documentary history, documentary movies, luang prabang, laos countryside, laos country tourism, laos country, laos country life, tarsier monkey, travel footage free, travel footage video, travel vlog, documentary music, vientiane, mekong

Id: 2GgU7ysAyoo

Length: 33min 15sec (1995 seconds)

Published: Sun Oct 28 2018