Held before the start of planting season as a call for rain and a celebration of fertility, Boun Bang Fai features a variety of fun activities beyond just firing rocket. (Photo: www.laostourism.org)Vientiane (VNA) – Localities in Laos have beenturning Boun Bang Fai (Rocket Festival) – a long-lasting major festival in the Southeast Asiacountry – into a tourism event to attract visitors.
Held before the start of planting season as a call for rainand a celebration of fertility, Boun Bang Fai features a variety of funactivities beyond just firing rockets. Visiting the festival, people can seemen in traditional Lao women’s clothes and makeup; elephant and horse pantomimepuppets; and a cacophony of loud music, food stalls, and vendors selling firecrackers.After a day of dancing and entertainment, people gather in the field on thetown’s outskirts to launch self-made fireworks rockets. Prizes are awarded forthe best decorated and highest soaring rockets.
This year, for the first time, authorities in Feuangdistrict which is over 120km away from Vientiane, held Boun Bang Fai at NamLik Tourism area as a way to promote the area.
KhamphetChanchomphou, Party Secretary and Chairman of Feuang district People’s Commiteesaid that the district organises a big Boun Bang Fai at Nam Lik tourist areafor three main goals. Firstly, they aim to maintain and preserve thetraditional cultural value. Secondly, to tighten solidarity between governmentand local people, and thirdly, to promote the local tourist area,thereby helping to create a driving force for the tourism industry in thelocality, increasing income for local people.
Through the organisation of the festival, the districtauthority hopes to increase the number of visitors to the Nam Lik Tourist Areafrom the current average of about 3,000 visitors per month to at least 10,000per month.
Khanxay Hitsobath, a tourist from Vientiane, said he traveled to the tourist destination after hearing about Boun Bang Fai Lan, abig firework rocket that most Lao people want to witness firsthand the powerit creates when being launched. He also wants to take the occasion to visit theemerging tourist area.
Khanxay highly appreciated the idea of organising thefestival in association with the tourism development of the local government.
Thanks to the festival, the Nam Lik tourism area has also become better known by both domestic and international visitors./.
