#savannakhet province

[mothmiso]

Laos (2) (3) (4) by Renaud Forest

Via Flickr:

(1) Near Tham Xang. (2) Luang Prabang. (3) Savannakhet.     

[southeastasianarchaeology]

[Paper] New evidence of metal exchange in Southeast Asia during the Iron Age: scientific analysis of excavated bronze in Vilabouly, Laos

Paper by Yang et al. Vilabouly's bronze artifacts reveals Laos' key role in Iron Age Southeast Asia's metal exchange, with complex trading patterns and cultural links.

via Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences, 15 January 2024: The 2018 excavation at Thengkham East site in Vilabouly, Laos, has brought to light bronze artifacts that underscore the region’s role in the Southeast Asian metal exchange network during the Iron Age. Scientific analysis reveals that these artifacts share metallurgical traditions with others in the region, suggesting a widespread…

[mesozoicmarket]

A dinosaur tooth of an indeterminate sauropod, possibly Tangvayosaurus hoffeti from the Grès supérieurs Formation in the Savannakhet Province of Laos. The most notable characteristic of this tooth is the four ridges that run down the crown. Interestingly, the morphology looks a bit more Jurassic-ish than Cretaceous. It is possible that the original digger stumbled upon an undescribed Jurassic layer near the Grès supérieurs Formation.

[padyakmnl]

Southern Laos, Off the Beaten Path

2 years ago, as part of my Indochina trip, I visited Laos, and I must say it was a revelation. I didn't expect much considering it's landlocked, and the train was just newly-opened that time. I travelled from central to the northern region — Vientiane to Vang Vieng to Luang Prabang.

This time, from central to the southern region, the less-travelled provinces of Laos — Vientiane to Savannakhet to Pakse to Paksong to Champasak. A random trip that turned really well.

12 days of adventure, walking, biking, hiking, coffee shop hopping, eating local food, and discovery. ANOTHER ONE FOR THE BOOKS!

[straye]

𝐇𝐄𝐀𝐃𝐂𝐀𝐍𝐎𝐍 / 𝐌𝐄𝐓𝐀 / 𝐒𝐓𝐔𝐃𝐘  : NOTES ON SHINYA’S LAO HERITAGE

As stated in a previous headcanon, Shinya has Lao heritage; his family specifically originates from Savannakhet, a province closer to the southernmost part of the country just along the Lao-Thai border; they lived in the city itself.

They were trilingual before they migrated, speaking Lao (dominantly), Thai (secondary), and some degree of French (tertiary); very few of them spoke English. Migrating as war refugees to Japan had them learn Japanese to assimilate into its culture.

On the note of language, they were able to successfully preserve the Lao language and teach it to the next few generations, though Shinya is the only family member his age that can speak it well at a conversational level. When he went to college and obtained his archaic language cert, he was shocked that a language he spoke so often at home was considered archaic, along with other southeast Asian languages (Thai, Viet, Khmer, etc). It was through this, though, that he improved his skills; when he went home and spoke with a wider vocabulary, his family was impressed, to say the least.

They joined the somewhat small Lao community in Japan (small being at least 2,785 as of a 2018 count) before the country officially closed its borders and cut off outside communications, cutting off the rest of Shinya’s family in 2061.

They also survived the mass exportation / deportation efforts from 2050-2071 (this is an estimate, but it could have been sooner).

Much of their culture is preserved through the small Lao community in Japan, generally by word of mouth and personally recorded + written records since Sibyl curated education, history, and publications to teach only ‘modern’ history (in other words, history that happened within Sibyl’s integration and authority); the latter’s communal feat was particularly difficult since much of Lao history and culture was in a messy spot because of generations of colonization and war prior (specifically noting the Lao civil wars, the Secret War the Vietnam War, etc. ) but even moreso when they moved to Japan, a country that already struggled with a revisionist issue made worse and/or actualized with Sibyl’s information control. 

Three generations have passed since Shinya’s family’s immigration, with Shinya himself being the member of the fourth: it would mean his great grandparents made the journey to Japan in 2022-2023 near the start of the Neo-liberal Economic Collapse ( by ~2040 his grandparents were born, ~2065 his parents were born just before the Sibyl System’s introduction in 2061 and its official enforcement in 2071, and Shinya himself was born in 2084. ). This makes Shinya’s parents around Tomomi Masaoka’s age, as a general reference (he was born 2058).

So why do they have Japanese names? It’s not uncommon for immigrants to take on names for the land theyve taken refuge in, as evidenced by Psycho-Pass 3’s depiction of this (see: Kei, Akira, and Maiko (Russian), Theresa Shinogi (???), Kaori and Asahi Fellows (Russian). The Kogami surname is one that Shinya’s father’s side of the family adopted, though some of them retained Lao names (as was the case with Shinya’s father who kept the name Keo); the practice phased out with Shinya’s generation. It’s unknown what his mother’s maiden name was. Prior to the Kogami surname adoption, their family name was Souvannakham, pronounced Soo-vanh-ah-kahm. They still retain the custom of play names, and as also explained in the headcanon post linked in the first point, Shinya’s ຊື່ຫຼິ້ນ (play name) is ໝານ້ອຍ / Maa Noy / Little Dog.

Needless to say, xenophobia and colorism was/is a rampant part of their reality, regardless of how long their family stayed in Japan; most people can tell when you’re different in a homogenized society, and they were treated accordingly, with this being hardest in the earlier generations of their stay. It lessened to some degree with Sibyl’s efforts to harmonize the population over the years but most people, as of Shinya’s life, were still able to tell that he was different despite his insistence on being Japanese.

This also played a part in Shinya growing up in a lower-working class, since his family faced workplace discrimination. Again, this lessened somewhat over the years as people questioned Sibyl’s authority less, but… the xenophobia / colorism / racism never went away ( we see this more towards Kei in PP3, and some others. ).

This explained Shinya’s paradoxical delinquency (being an A+ student but also getting into scraps as he was; this was generally done in self defense and for the defense of his peers, and he was rarely punished since Sibyl didn’t see it clouding his hue any, evidenced by his and Ginoza’s first meeting).

Though Sibyl Society considers religion having fallen into oblivion, Shinya’s family retains the folk Theravada Buddhist-adjacent traditions of Laos, but they aren’t allowed any avenues to fully partake in their practices outside of wedding and funerary traditions. For further clarification, religion isn’t outright outlawed, but it’s neither taught nor encouraged by the Sibyl System. The segregationist Special Religion Zones that appear in response of a new wave of immigrants sans 2120 don’t count, with it being a method to separate Japanese nationals from implants, and Shinya discourages people in his community from going to them, and personally sees to their safety while they exist.

On the note of traditions, Shinya himself has partaken in traditional Lao practices, such as Songkran ( or Lao New Year ) and various manners of su kran. He preserves every string he has from the latter’s ceremonies in a box and was allowed to keep them following his demotion to Enforcer. He carried them with him overseas and has only gotten more when he ventured through Southeast Asian.

Part of his reason to migrate south to SEA after arriving in China was due to his own Lao heritage, where he naively believed that he might be able to fit in, but as is the case with people visiting their origin country when growing up somewhere else … despite being very fluent in the tongue, he stuck out for a while, and it in itself was a heartbreaking and humbling experience that made him feel small. He’s a trooper, and ended up being fine through it, finding some manner of reconnection with this part of his cultural identity through it, but he never met any of his family in Laos due to Sibyl’s exportation in the Shambala Float triggering massive scale civil unrest, and the simple fact that he never heard much of them to be able to identify them outside of vague stories (“You had a uncle who xyz”).

Yes, Shinya has his own xout lao, and his pha biang are generally blue. He has some fancy silk ones, some cloth ones. He leaves these behind with his parents when he’s locked up as an Enforcer.

He also, to some degree, knows how to perform the lam vong ( ລຳວົງ ), having grown up doing so and was taught by his parents. He’s been pulled to dance with the locals in Laos he stayed with during his exile overseas.

[otsaaleccorvinus]

All My Guys!!! These are some of my Savannakhet province veggies herbs spice fruit seeds can you tell what they are? these are what I & my mummy will grow soon ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️ Otsa

[newsbites]

https://laotiantimes.com/2023/01/25/fao-agricultural-practices-major-contributors-to-air-pollution-in-laos/

A recently conducted study by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), shows that climate, agriculture production, and fire are the key drivers of air pollution in Laos, with the northern part of the country consistently showing more fire activity.

Luang Prabang, Oudomxay, Huaphan, Xayaboury, and Phongsaly provinces are forest fire hotspots, with Luang Prabang, Xayaboury, Vientiane, Savannakhet, and Oudomxay provinces being crop fire hotspots.

Across the world, scientists now agree that atmospheric pollution has been causing a significant impact on climate, both at the local (through phenomena such as smog and haze), and the global levels (through climate change). Due to changes in local weather patterns, such as rainfall and temperature, atmospheric pollution also affects agricultural production.

Equally important, air pollution is detrimental to the health of the population. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), household and ambient pollution caused seven million deaths in 2016, with 94% of these deaths occurring in low and middle-income countries. The air pollution burden of South-East Asia is among the highest in the world. In 2016, an estimated 2.4 million premature deaths were attributed to air pollution. Exposure to air pollution is linked to lung cancer, lower respiratory diseases, chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases, and heart diseases.

Laos is one of the most vulnerable countries to be potentially affected by climate change. These impacts are expected to be enhanced by the poverty and malnourishment faced by communities across the country, especially during the recent economic slowdown.

[soukthavy-phavathdy]

Soukthavy​ PHAVATHDY

ເຖິງແມ່ນວ່າມື້ນີ້ຈະເປັນວັນຈັນກໍ່ຍັງເຮັດເປັນຄືວັນເສົາເລີຍ

Even though it’s Monday act like it’s Saturday

[mostly-history]

Baskets of freshly-produced salt at an iodized salt factory in Savannakhet Province (Laos, 2012).

Established in 1995, this factory supplies salt to several provinces in southern Laos.  It uses two methods of salt production – boiling down brine, and solar evaporation.

[destinationlaos]

The last herd of Eld's Deer in the world, Savannakhet Province, Lao PDR by Explore Laos Via Flickr: The last herd of Eld's deer is located in Savannakhet Province. Throughout the region, these were hunted for use in traditional medicine and for food. Now people realize the importance of biodiversity and have worked with NGOs to create a forest sanctuary for the last of these creatures, as they replenish their numbers - up to 100 at the last count! ໂອງມັ່ງຝູງສຸດທ້າຍແມ່ນຢູ່ແຂວງສະຫວັນນະເຂດ. ໃນທົ່ວພາກພື້ນ ພວກມັນຖືກລ່າໄປເຮັດຢາພື້ນເມືອງ ແລະ ເພື່ອເປັນອາຫານ. ມາຮອດປັດຈຸບັນ ຜູ້ຄົນໄດ້ຄໍານຶງເຖິງຄວາມສໍາຄັນຂອງລະບົບນິເວດ ແລະ ໄດ້ເຮັດວຽກຮ່ວມກັບອົງການຕ່າງໆທີ່ບໍ່ຂື້ນກັບລັດຖະບານເພື່ອສ້າງເຂດຮັກສາພັນສັດປ່າເພື່ອໂຕໂອງມັ່ງເຫຼົ່ານີ້, ເຊິ່ງພວກມັນມີຈໍານວນເຫຼືອພຽງແຕ່ຮ້ອຍກວ່າໂຕ ໃນຄັ້ງລ່າສຸດທີ່ມີການນັບ.

[trueconservativepundit]

Seven Christians Detained For ‘Illegal’ Christmas Service

Seven Christians Detained For ‘Illegal’ Christmas Service

LAOS- Christians in southern Laos faced a grim New Year after seven believers including church leaders were detained by the Communist government’s security forces during violent church raids, reported Stefan J. Bos for (BosNewsLife).

Sirikoon Prasertsee, who leads the advocacy group Human Rights Watcher for Lao Religious Freedom (HRWLRF), said the detentions occurred late Saturday, December 29,…

[onlinebetting516-blog]

Thailand On-line Playing Regulation

POLICE raided a web-based playing den in nearby Choburi province right this moment (April 4) and arrested three Singaporeans just as they were chatting with bettors to take an opportunity on football and Singapore lottery results, Thai News Agency reported. Most of the sites that find yourself on our listing of greatest on-line casinos for Thai players give you a chance to bet on a wide range of common sports in Thailand with a couple of easy clicks. https://www.vegus91s.com/ Some casinos also supply fairer odds and better payouts than many land-based operators. Cambodia has several land-based mostly casinos that may be visited by Thai players, most of that are situated close to border crossings. The Aranyaprathet District is especially widespread, that includes a range of casinos, together with ones operated by massive brands like Crown. The benefits to using Asian bookies are many. Each Thai language and English language are supported. Also it's easy to deposit with direct financial institution transfer in Thai Baht (THB), and due to this fact no foreign money trade charges are involved. Most bookies including Bodog88 supply payouts to Thai banks freed from cost. Here you will see that reside dealer casino games resembling baccarat, roulette and blackjack. There are also online slot machines and different on line casino games resembling dice (craps). The benefits for sports activities betting are many too. Another reason poker houses are quite uncommon nowadays (unless all housemates know each other effectively) is there have been unfortunately some scams throughout the Thailand poker group like laptop hacking in addition to doubtful pricing so individuals are a bit more cautious. Most use that one as they're identified to not ask for documentation until across the third or 4th consecutive time (and give advance warning of the time they'll ask), you may as well break that ‘chain' of Vientiane visas by getting one in Savannakhet, Laos. They're essentially the most foreigner friendly, others e.g. the Singapore consulate are known to require flight tickets booked upfront spaced ninety days aside, or randomly refuse you if you've ‘been to Thailand many times'. Then others e.g. Cambodia only give single entry vacationer visas, whereas Laos offers double entries.

[biigtravel]

CHAMPHONE LOOP - EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW

Sometimes the best things are found where you least expect them. Savannakhet is the most populous province in Laos, yet also one of the least explored, as tourists seldom stray from the pleasant and scenic downtown area of the city. On a recent visit, I was advised to get out and see the real Savannakhet on the Champhone Circuit. To find out what I was missing, I acquired some transport and headed out of town. 

THINGS TO DO AND SEE    

Champhone District is quite flat and agrarian. It is marked by the Xe Champhone River which flows from mountains in the north down into the Xe Bang Hiang and onward into the Mekong.     

Soui Lake  

My first stop along this route was to admire the wide Soui Reservoir, jokingly called “the ocean of Savannakhet” which contains water for use in the area. It is a charming lake and popular spot on weekends for local people who flock to restaurants on the lakeside and enjoy fresh catches of fish and shellfish. 

Monkey forest / Dong Ling  

Driving on a few kilometers, the driver stops. “Monkeys!” he exclaims. We have arrived in Dong Ling – “Monkey Forest”. These rare animals live in a forest believed to be sacred by local people, so they are given free rein. Local shops must protect themselves with metal grating, or the cheeky monkeys will steal things and disappear into the forest. I bought a few bunches of bananas and tried to make friends. They were shy at first, but as more and more monkeys approached, I became uneasy and tossed the bunch at them, before jumping back into the van. 

Ho Taypidok – The first library in Laos  

Crossing the Xe Champhone River and on to the next village, we came across a real marvel of Lao architecture, Wat Ban Lam Chan. This ancient temple in Lam Chan Village is quite famous for its incredibly tall stilted Ho Tay Pidok library. Traditionally temple manuscripts were etched into palm leaves and bound together into books. As insects love to eat these leaves, libraries were often built on stilts in ponds, so they would be protected from pests. Sadly, many of these grand wooden structures have been lost and this is one of the few remaining. The manuscripts stored here are of such good quality that they are still regularly studied by academics.  

Turtle Lake  

Our next stop was another fascinating natural attraction in Don Daeng Village, a lake with sacred softshell turtles! The villagers nearby believe that anyone who disturbs these animals will mysteriously fall sick or die. Visitors often bring traditional Lao snacks to feed the turtles and avoid any bad luck. Local children nearby have a special way of calling the turtles to the surface to get a snack and are happy to help bring them up. A few children followed me and one of them called out in Lao. A turtle appeared, grabbed the food I offered, and then disappeared back into the murky depths. There is also a small Buddhist shrine built in the middle of the lake, but due to local beliefs, only men are allowed inside.  

Taleo Old Temple  

Just a few kilometers north is a striking piece of Lao-Indochinese architecture stained by modern history and one of my favorite stops on this route. In Taleo Village stand the remnants of an old, abandoned temple, Wat Taleo Kao. Built about a century ago, the temple was the target of American bombs in 1969 and many of the structures in the temple grounds did not survive. Thankfully, one building remains and houses a trove of folk-art paintings on its walls, telling local legends and stories of the Buddha’s life. Temples are not made like this anymore, as Lao people prefer more modern styles of art on their walls, so seeing this one in its original state was quite a treat, if it were not for the sad reason it was abandoned.  

Wat Phoukor  

This singular forest temple has been designed without wall so people can stay in touch with nature while praying Buddha. While walking in the beautiful surrounding forest, you can observe many statues depicting Buddhist hell and famous Lao tales  

That Kou  

That Kou is the ruin of one of the many pre-Angkorian constructions from the ancient Khmer Empire in Laos. This sanctuary was built at early second millennium with impressive lava stones and used to be a Hindu shrine.  

The Champhone Circuit really opened up this section of Laos and showed me a great diversity of fascinating historical and natural places. Visitors to the area should look beyond the city center – get out and see the real charms of Savannakhet!  

GETTING THERE        

Champhone District is located about 45 kilometers southeast of Savannakhet’s downtown area and road conditions can be quite rugged and dusty, so transport with high clearance is recommended.  

Lao Airlines has regular flights to Savannakhet from Pakse, Bangkok, and Vientiane.  

BEST TIME TO VISIT        

So, what is the best time to visit Champhone Loop?  

In general, you can visit Champhone Loop throughout the year though it will be a little muddy during rainy season from May until late August.  

The best time to visit the area is during dry season from mid-October until late April. If possible, you can manage to visit Champhone Loop around January when you can join the Taleo Temple Festival. Check with us for the detailed date if you are interested.  

TOUR PACKAGES        

We are so excited to invite our travelers all around the world to come and visit the Champhone Loop so that we have already created 3 packages that include the loop so that you know how we can combine the area with the other parts of Laos.  

Below is the brief itinerary of the 3 packages, please contact us for further details on itinerary and price.  

PACKAGE 1: CENTRAL LAOS ADVENTURE (12D11N)  

Code: LAET-CL12  

   1 ARRIVAL IN VIENTIANE  

   2 VIENTIANE EXPLORATION – BUDDHA PARK  

   3 PHOU KHAO KHUAY ORCHID TREK – PAKSAN  

   4 PAKSAN – KONGLOR CAVE – BAN NATANE (HOMESTAY)  

   5 BAN NATANE – PHAGNA MEANGWAN CAVE – TAD SAO E WATERFALL  

   6 BAN NATANE – KONGLOR CAVE – NAM SANAM WATERFALL – SAINAMHAI LODGE  

   7 NAMSANAM – BIRD WATCHING – BAN THALANG  

   8 BAN THALANG – THAKHEK  

   9 THAKHEK – SAVANNAKHET  

   10 SAVANNAKHET – CHAMPHONE LOOP – HOMESTAY  

   11 CHAMPHONE LOOP – BACK TO SAVANNAKHET  

   12 SAVANNAKHET – DEPARTURE  

   ****  

   PACKAGES 2: UNCOVER THE HIDDEN CHARMS OF LAOS (16D15N)  

   Code: LAEU-HC16  

   1 ARRIVAL IN LUANG PRABANG  

   2 ANCIENT CITY & HIDDEN CORNER OF LUANG PRABANG  

   3 MORNING ALMS GIVING – BUFFALO DAIRY FARM – KUANG SI WATERFALL  

   4 MEKONG RIVER BOAT TRIP – PAK OU CAVES – TAEC  

   5 TRANSFER TO XIENG KHUANG  

   6 PLAIN OF JARS & MUANG KHOUNE  

   7 TRANSFER TO VANG VIENG  

   8 VANG VIENG EXPLORATION – VIENTIANE  

   9 VIENTIANE EXPLORATION – BUDDHA PARK  

   10 FLIGHT TO SAVANNAKHET – CHAMPHONE LOOP  

   11 CHAMPHONE LOOP – BACK TO SAVANNAKHET  

   12 SAVANNAKHET – BOLAVEN PLATEAU – FANDEE ISLAND  

   13 BOLAVEN PLATEAU – CHAMPASAK  

   14 WAT PHOU – KHONG ISLAND – KHONE ISLAND  

   15 4000 ISLANDS – KHONE PHAPHAENG WATERFALL – PAKSE  

   16 PAKSE – UBON RATCHATHANI – DEPARTURE  

   ****  

   PACKAGE 3: ON THE ROAD ADVENTURE (26D25N)  

   Code: LAEU-RA26  

   1 ARRIVAL IN LUANG PRABANG  

   2 ANCIENT CITIES – MEKONG RIVER – PAK OU CAVES  

   3 BAN LONG LAO – KUANG SI WATERFALL  

   4 MORNING ALMS GIVING – NAHM DONG PARK  

   5 LUANG PRABANG – XIENG KHUANG  

   6 PLAIN OF JARS & MUANG KHOUNE  

   7 XIENG KHUANG – VANG VIENG  

   8 VANG VIENG EXPLORATION – BAN THAHEUA  

   9 CYCLING BAN THAHEUA – VIENTIANE  

   10 VIENTIANE EXPLORATION – BUDDHA PARK  

   11 VIENTIANE – ORCHID TREK – PAKSAN  

   12 PAKSAN – KONG LOR CAVE  

   13 KONGLOR CAVE – NAMSANAM WATERFALL  

   14 NAMSANAM – BIRD WATCHING – BAN THALANG  

   15 BAN THALANG – THAKHEK  

   16 THAKHEK – SAVANNAKHET – VIVANOUK HOMESTAY  

   17 CHAMPHONE DISTRICT EXPERIENCE  

   18 SAVANNAKHET – BOLAVEN PLATEAU – FANDEE ISLAND  

   19 JEEP TOUR EXPLORATION HIDDEN COFFEE TRAIL  

   20 TRANSFER TO PAKSONG  

   21 PAKSONG – WAT PHOU – CHAMPASAK – DONE DAENG  

   22 DONE DAENG – PHOU ASA TREKKING – DONE KHONG  

   23 DONE KHONG – 4000 ISLANDS – DONG KHONE  

   24 DONE KHONE – KHONE PHAPHAENG WATERFALLS – PAKSE – NKM HOMESTAY  

   25 HIDDEN PAKSE EXPERIENCE  

   26 PAKSE – UBON RATCHATHANI – DEPARTURE  

[mesozoicmarket]

A pair of fossilized fish teeth, likely Lanxangichthys alticephalus from the Grès supérieurs Formation in the Savannakhet Province of Laos. These ancient lepisosteiforms or gar relatives had durophagous button-like teeth used to crush hard-shelled prey. This species was one of the possible prey for Asian spinosaurids like Ichthyovenator and Siamosaurus.

[otsaaleccorvinus]

All My Guys!!! look at my Savannakhet province veggies they are Puk Van Kor (clovers) Puk Salat (lettuce) Puk Narm (Water Cress) they are excellent almost ready in 3 weeks oh wow 👍❤️🙏🎈🥳😂💝💕🥰💗💯Otsa

[soclaimon]

[Laos] Number of new Covid cases alarmingly high: taskforce #SootinClaimon.Com

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation. https://www.nationthailand.com/international/40007575 The number of new locally-transmitted Covid cases recorded over the past five days remains high, especially in the provinces of Vientiane, Khammuan, Savannakhet and Luang Prabang. The observation was made as the National Taskforce for Covid-19 Prevention and Control on Friday…