On October 21, 2016, the Lao Opening Festival celebrations, hosted by Dongpeng District of Bokeo Province and co-organized by the Golden Triangle Special Economic Zone, were grandly held on Kapok Island. The festival featured a rich array of activities, including dragon boat races, a market fair, and song and dance performances. Key leaders attending the opening ceremony of the dragon boat races included Mr. Suak Lianthongkham, Director of the Department of Information, Culture and Tourism of Bokeo Province; Mr. Keunphet Vongchan, Governor of Dongpeng District; Mr. Saisatian Liansak, Deputy Governor of Dongpeng District; and Mr. Chanthavy Bhodisane, Vice Chairman of the Special Economic Zone Management Committee.
The opening ceremony was presided over by Governor Keunphet Vongchan, who also delivered the opening address. He first expressed his sincere gratitude to the Golden Triangle Special Economic Zone Management Committee for sponsoring the event, welcomed the guests, and expressed his hope to further strengthen cooperation with the Special Economic Zone in the future, working together to promote the development and prosperity of Dongpeng County.
The dragon boat race attracted more than ten teams from the Dongpeng County government, the Agriculture Bureau, the Finance Bureau, and various administrative villages. On the wide Mekong River, hundreds of boats raced, oars flashing, and the exciting competition drew cheers from thousands of spectators and tourists on the banks. With the close cooperation and coordinated efforts of the Dongpeng County government and the Golden Triangle Special Economic Zone, the opening ceremony celebrations concluded successfully.
[Festival Information] The Opening of the Door Festival (Lao: "Boun Awk Phansa"), also known as the Water Festival, Summer Retreat Festival, Rain Retreat Festival, etc., is celebrated in the 11th month of the Buddhist calendar (October in the Gregorian calendar). It is an important Theravada Buddhist festival celebrated by all Lao people, corresponding to the Closing of the Door Festival (Lao: "Boun Khao Phansa," also known as the Water Welcoming Festival, Summer Retreat Festival, Som Suan Festival, Rain Retreat Festival) in the 8th month of the Buddhist calendar (July in the Gregorian calendar).
According to Buddhist precepts, after the Closing of the Door Festival, the rainy season begins, a time of growth for all things. Monks are required to begin a three-month "Laan period" of spiritual practice. During this time, monks must concentrate on their studies and enlightenment in the temple and are not allowed to leave the temple without permission; weddings and other celebratory activities are also suspended until the Opening of the Door Festival. Every year in mid-to-late October, the Opening Ceremony arrives as scheduled. Monks can resume their outdoor activities, and people can resume weddings and other celebrations. Core activities include lighting lanterns, releasing boat lanterns, and dragon boat races.
As the most representative celebration during the Opening Ceremony, the Lao Dragon Boat Race (also known as the "Dragon Boat Festival" or "Racing Festival") has different cultural origins from Chinese dragon boat racing. Laos does not have a dragon totem or dragon worship; its dragon boat race tradition stems from a sacrificial ceremony: "The Dragon Boat Festival begins in September, and its core is the worship of the 'Laka'—a divine creature with a body shape between a snake and a dragon, which people believe protects every river and prevents it from drying up."
The Lao dragon boat race has a unique format: each team consists of 20-40 people, with men and women competing separately. Each team wears a uniform of its own color and paddles in unison at the leader's drumbeat command. Compared to dragon boat racing in China, Lao dragon boats are much longer and slender; each team is equipped with several "Popeye" rowers who stand at the stern, wielding oars far larger than those of ordinary rowers, paddling powerfully and forcefully, creating a visually striking spray of water. Coupled with the enthusiastic cheers of the crowds on the shore, the entire competition is grand and highly entertaining.
The importance Lao people place on the Opening Festival stems from the fact that this day marks the reopening of temples after a three-month closure. The past three months, known as the "Lah period," coincide with Laos' annual rainy season, also called the "Water Festival." After the Lah period ends, the Water Festival (Opening Festival) becomes a major point of celebration for the entire nation. Through the grand ceremony of dragon boat racing, Lao people welcome the festival and express their hopes and aspirations.
