During the three-day festival, they will perform ritualssuch as bathing Buddha statues, going to pagodas to pray for blessings, splashingwater on others, and joining Nang Sangkhane (Miss New Year) procession.
The festival takes place at a time when the government hasdesigned 2018 as Lao Tourism Year.
Laos targets welcoming 5 million foreign visitors this year,a huge figure compared to its 6.5 million population.
In addition to Laos, the New Year festival is also organised in Cambodia(called Chol Chnam Thmay), Myanmar (Thingyan) and Thailand (Songkran).-VNA