KPL
(KPL)The 10th annual Elephant Festival will be held next month (19-21 February) at the stadium in Xayaboury district, Xayaboury Province according to the Vice Governor of Xayaboury Province, Mr Yanyong Sipaseuth.
By Phetsamone
(KPL)The 10th annual Elephant Festival will be held next month (19-21 February) at the stadium in Xayaboury district, Xayaboury Province according to the Vice Governor of Xayaboury Province, Mr Yanyong Sipaseuth.
“This year 67 elephants will be used in the festival and there will be a variety of activities including an elephant beauty pageant, an elephant Baci ceremony, an elephant bathing performance and elephant riding around the town,” he continued.
There will also be a trade fair at the festival which will have a display of products from nearby provinces and several overseas businesses from Vietnam, China, and Thailand.
The elephant festival is held to celebrate the history of Laos which once had a large population of elephants, and also the relationship between elephants and Lao people. Laos was once given the name Lao Lanexang which means “Land of a million of elephants”. Xayaboury Province currently has the largest population of elephants accounting for over 75 percent of the elephant population.
The Elephant Festival is organised to raise awareness about the need for action to protect the Asian elephant as part of the vital cultural and natural heritage of Laos and other countries in the region. It is also to help promote Lao culture and lifestyle as well as promote the tourism industry in Laos.
The first elephant festival was held in 2007 in Hongsa district, then in Paklai district, and finally in Xayaboury district of Xayaboury Province.
KPL
