VIENTIANE, Feb. 26 (Xinhua) -- The annual Vat Phou Festival was celebrated in southern Laos' Champasak province, with a variety of colorful activities for visitors.
Vat Phou Festival was celebrated from Thursday to Saturday this year. The festive event featured numerous colorful activities, including a show about the origins of the temple complex, a concert, parades by local residents, an exhibition of local products, almsgiving, and a candlelight procession.
Lao President Thongloun Sisoulith and his spouse participated in the Vat Phou Festival on Saturday, joining the crowd in giving alms on the final day.
Governor of Champasak province Vilayvong Bouddakham, and other senior officials from central and local state departments also attended the merit-making event.
The annual festival and almsgiving are rituals that have been practiced for generations and are beloved by the Lao people as part of their strong cultural traditions.
Authorities in Champasak province have planned to organize 12 events under the Visit Laos Year theme of "A Paradise of Lao Culture, Nature and History" to draw visitors to the province in 2024.
The Vat Phou Festival has been designated as the main event, which features colorful cultural shows.
The ruins of Vat Phou temple in Champasak are more than 1,000 years old, and the festival was held to revere the temple ruins and allows people to marvel at its history and the ancient culture it represents, Deputy Director of the Champasak provincial Information, Culture and Tourism Department, Soulin Phetthany, told media earlier.
Visitors to the ancient temple site can learn about the history of these fascinating stone structures, she added.
Provincial authorities are ready to welcome visitors with improved tourist sites, infrastructure, transport, accommodation and services, which are all aimed at ensuring visitors enjoy their stay in the province.
Deputy Governor of Champasak province, Som Bouttakoun, told media that the province has improved the quality of services and instituted safety measures, as well as stepping up advertising for Visit Laos Year through local and foreign media, as well as international tourism exhibitions.
He said tourism is a rapidly growing sector of the economy, so provincial authorities are giving it full support by formulating policies to develop and promote cultural, historical, natural and agricultural tourism in order to attract more tourists to Champasak. ■
