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  • Tomatoes for sale at Hua Kua fresh market on the outskirts of Vientiane city, Lao PDR. A large variety of local products are available for sale in fresh markets all over Laos, all being sold on small individual stalls.
    DSCF7644cc_1_1.jpg
  • Fish for sale at Hua Kua market on the outskirts of Vientiane city, Lao PDR. The Lao are very reliant on products collected or caught from the wild in nearby forests, fields and streams. A walk through any market will illustrate the agro and bio-diversity of Laos. market on the outskirts of Vientiane city, Lao PDR. The Lao are very reliant on products collected or caught from the wild in nearby forests, fields and streams. A walk through any market will illustrate the agro and bio-diversity of Laos.
    DSCF4171cc_1_1.jpg
  • Leaves and flowers from the acacia tree purchased from Khua Din early morning fresh food market, Vientiane, Lao PDR. A large variety of local products are available for sale in fresh markets all over Laos, all being sold on small individual stalls. Talat Khua Din is a traditional Lao market close to Vientiane city centre and is currently under threat from the construction of a shopping mall.
    A0031960cc_1_1.jpg
  • Bats for sale at Hua Kua market on the outskirts of Vientiane city, Lao PDR. The Lao are very reliant on products collected or caught from the wild in nearby forests, fields and streams. A walk through any market will illustrate the agro and bio-diversity of Laos.
    DSCF7655cc_1_1.jpg
  • Fish for sale at Hua Kua market on the outskirts of Vientiane city, Lao PDR. The Lao are very reliant on products collected or caught from the wild in nearby forests, fields and streams. A walk through any market will illustrate the agro and bio-diversity of Laos.
    DSCF7653cc_1_1.jpg
  • Bats for sale at Hua Kua market on the outskirts of Vientiane city, Lao PDR. The Lao are very reliant on products collected or caught from the wild in nearby forests, fields and streams. A walk through any market will illustrate the agro and bio-diversity of Laos.
    DSCF4167cc_1_1.jpg
  • Fish for sale at Hua Kua market on the outskirts of Vientiane city, Lao PDR. The Lao are very reliant on products collected or caught from the wild in nearby forests, fields and streams. A walk through any market will illustrate the agro and bio-diversity of Laos.
    DSCF4170cc_1_1.jpg
  • Fish and vegetables for sale at Hua Kua market on the outskirts of Vientiane city, Lao PDR. The Lao are very reliant on products collected or caught from the wild in nearby forests, fields and streams. A walk through any market will illustrate the agro and bio-diversity of Laos.
    DSCF7651cc_1_1.jpg
  • Bamboo shoots for sale at Hua Kua market on the outskirts of Vientiane city, Lao PDR. The Lao are very reliant on products collected or caught from the wild in nearby forests, fields and streams. A walk through any market will illustrate the agro and bio-diversity of Laos.
    DSCF7656cc_1_1.jpg
  • Bamboo shoots for sale at Hua Kua market on the outskirts of Vientiane city, Lao PDR. The Lao are very reliant on products collected or caught from the wild in nearby forests, fields and streams. A walk through any market will illustrate the agro and bio-diversity of Laos.
    DSCF7636cc_1_1.jpg
  • Fish for sale at Hua Kua market on the outskirts of Vientiane city, Lao PDR. The Lao are very reliant on products collected or caught from the wild in nearby forests, fields and streams. A walk through any market will illustrate the agro and bio-diversity of Laos.
    DSCF7654cc_1_1.jpg
  • Vegetables for sale at Hua Kua market on the outskirts of Vientiane city, Lao PDR. A large variety of local products are available for sale in fresh markets all over Laos, all being sold on small individual stalls.
    DSCF7641cc_1_1.jpg
  • Vegetables including aubergines, pea aubergines, tomatoes and herbs for sale at Hua Kua market on the outskirts of Vientiane city, Lao PDR. A large variety of local products are available for sale in fresh markets all over Laos, all being sold on small individual stalls.
    DSCF7639cc_1_1.jpg
  • Onions purchased from Hua Kua market on the outskirts of Vientiane city, Lao PDR. A large variety of local products are available for sale in fresh markets all over Laos, all being sold on small individual stalls.
    DSCF4175cc_1_1.jpg
  • Pumpkin flowers for sale at Hua Kua market on the outskirts of Vientiane city, Lao PDR. A large variety of local products are available for sale in fresh markets all over Laos, all being sold on small individual stalls.
    DSCF7648cc_1_1.jpg
  • Vegetables for sale at Hua Kua market on the outskirts of Vientiane city, Lao PDR. A large variety of local products are available for sale in fresh markets all over Laos, all being sold on small individual stalls.
    DSCF7640cc_1_1.jpg
  • Cauliflower for sale at Hua Kua market on the outskirts of Vientiane city, Lao PDR. A large variety of local products are available for sale in fresh markets all over Laos, all being sold on small individual stalls.
    DSCF7642cc_1_1.jpg
  • Bounthit Inthavong, 59 in her vegetable garden in Tao Than village in the Laos province of Vientiane. This area has been hard hit by climate change over recent years and the farming-dependent family is feeling the effects. She and her husband Somvang Inthavong, 60, are farmers manage the farm alone and the children help at the weekends. They produce organic brown sticky rice, various kinds of bamboo, and fruit and vegetables including green beans, morning glory, lemons and mangos.
    A0031491cc_1.jpg
  • Aerial view of the recently relocated Hmong ethnic minority village of Ban Chalern, Phongsaly, Laos. Ban Chalern was relocated due to construction of the Nam Ou Cascade Hydropower Project Dam 7
    DJI_0346cc_1.jpg
  • Coconut pancakes for sale at Luang Prabang morning market, Laos
    DSCF4561cc_1.jpg
  • Aerial view of the recently relocated Hmong ethnic minority village of Ban Chalern, Phongsaly, Laos. Ban Chalern was relocated due to construction of the Nam Ou Cascade Hydropower Project Dam 7
    DJI_0355cc_1.jpg
  • Dried oranges for sale at Luang Prabang morning market, Laos
    DSCF4556cc_1.jpg
  • Portrait of a Hmong ethnic minority woman and her young baby in the village of Ban Tatong, Phongsaly, Laos
    A0035649cc_1.jpg
  • Aerial view of the Nam Ou river showing backflooding due to the construction of the Nam Ou Hydropower Project Dam 6, Phongsaly province, Laos
    DJI_0387cc_1.jpg
  • An Hmong ethnic minority woman sewing her traditional costume outside her home in the newly relocated village of Ban Chalern, Phongsaly province, Laos. Ban Chalern was relocated due to construction of the Nam Ou Cascade Hydropower Project Dam 7
    A0035605cc_1.jpg
  • The feet of a Khmu ethnic minority woman working as a prostitute nearby the Nam Ou Cascade Hydropower Project Dam 7, Phongsaly province, Laos
    A0035603cc_1.jpg
  • Construction of the Nam Ou Cascade Hydropower Project Dam 7 in Ban Chalern village, Phongsaly province, Laos
    A0035601cc_1.jpg
  • Farmers Somvang and Bounthit Inthavong weeding their rice field in Tao Than village, Vientiane Lao PDR. They produce organic brown sticky rice, various kinds of bamboo, and fruit and vegetables including green beans, morning glory, lemons and mangos. This area has been hard hit by climate change over recent years and the farming-dependent family is feeling the effects.
    A0031541cc_1.jpg
  • Laos is the most bombed country, per capita, in the world with more than 270 million cluster bomb submunitions dropped on it during the Vietnam War from 1963 to 1974. The Mines Advisory Group (MAG) are a humanitarian organisation clearing the remnants of conflict worldwide and have been working in Lao PDR since 1994. UXO clearance team 6 (UCT6) is an all-female team, one of MAG’s seven UXO clearance teams in Xieng Khouang Province, one of the most heavily bombed provinces in Lao PDR. <br />
Denonation of 4 BLU-26 cluster bomb sub-munitions known locally as 'bombies' in Ban Namoune village.  . 'Bombies' are the most common form of UXO remaining - approximately 80 million unexploded bombies remained in Laos after the Vietnam War. They cause more accidents than any other type of UXO in Laos.
    A0011755ccrt_1_1.jpg
  • Laos is the most bombed country, per capita, in the world with more than 270 million cluster bomb submunitions dropped on it during the Vietnam War from 1963 to 1974. The Mines Advisory Group (MAG) are a humanitarian organisation clearing the remnants of conflict worldwide and have been working in Lao PDR since 1994. UXO clearance team 6 (UCT6) is an all-female team, one of MAG’s seven UXO clearance teams in Xieng Khouang Province, one of the most heavily bombed province in Lao PDR.The photograph shows UCT6 walking a short distance through the village of Ban Namoune to start work clearing UXO at 8am. The photograph shows UCT6 walking a short distance through the village of Ban Namoune to start work clearing UXO at 8am.
    A0011883cc_1_1.jpg
  • A Hmong ethnic minority man smokes opium at home in Lao PDR. Opium addicts are usually adult males. By taking opium, they lose the energy to work hard which leaves heavy tasks to women and children which then impoverishes the entire household. As recently as 1998, Lao PDR was the third largest illicit opium poppy producer in the world.  From 1998 to 2005, opium poppy cultivation in Lao PDR was reduced by 93 per cent.  In more remote areas where cash crops are not viable, surveys from UNODC have shown that between 2008 and 2012 the area under opium poppy cultivation has more than tripled. Although in 2013 the area of poppy fields in the country has again fallen, the number of regular opium users was still estimated at between 14,000 to 15,000 in the 10 northern provinces.
    A0009854cc_1.jpg
  • Two Hmong ethnic minority men smoke opium at home in Lao PDR. Opium addicts are usually adult males. By taking opium, they lose the energy to work hard which leaves heavy tasks to women and children which then impoverishes the entire household. As recently as 1998, Lao PDR was the third largest illicit opium poppy producer in the world.  From 1998 to 2005, opium poppy cultivation in Lao PDR was reduced by 93 per cent.  In more remote areas where cash crops are not viable, surveys from UNODC have shown that between 2008 and 2012 the area under opium poppy cultivation has more than tripled. Although in 2013 the area of poppy fields in the country has again fallen, the number of regular opium users was still estimated at between 14,000 to 15,000 in the 10 northern provinces.
    A0009855cc_1.jpg
  • A Hmong ethnic minority man smokes opium at home in Lao PDR. Opium addicts are usually adult males. By taking opium, they lose the energy to work hard which leaves heavy tasks to women and children which then impoverishes the entire household. As recently as 1998, Lao PDR was the third largest illicit opium poppy producer in the world.  From 1998 to 2005, opium poppy cultivation in Lao PDR was reduced by 93 per cent.  In more remote areas where cash crops are not viable, surveys from UNODC have shown that between 2008 and 2012 the area under opium poppy cultivation has more than tripled. Although in 2013 the area of poppy fields in the country has again fallen, the number of regular opium users was still estimated at between 14,000 to 15,000 in the 10 northern provinces.
    A0009853cc_1.jpg
  • Two Hmong ethnic minority men smoke opium at home in Lao PDR. Opium addicts are usually adult males. By taking opium, they lose the energy to work hard which leaves heavy tasks to women and children which then impoverishes the entire household. As recently as 1998, Lao PDR was the third largest illicit opium poppy producer in the world.  From 1998 to 2005, opium poppy cultivation in Lao PDR was reduced by 93 per cent.  In more remote areas where cash crops are not viable, surveys from UNODC have shown that between 2008 and 2012 the area under opium poppy cultivation has more than tripled. Although in 2013 the area of poppy fields in the country has again fallen, the number of regular opium users was still estimated at between 14,000 to 15,000 in the 10 northern provinces.
    A0009860cc_1.jpg
  • A young Khmu mother washes her young baby in the traditional Khmu way by putting warm water in her mouth and 'spitting' it on the baby, Ban Chaleunsouk, Luang Namtha province, Lao PDR. The Khmu are the largest ethnic minority in Laos and belong to the Mon-Khmer sub-branch of the Austroasiatic ethnolinguistic family, who are considered the original inhabitants of Laos. One of the most ethnically diverse countries in Southeast Asia, Laos has 49 officially recognised ethnic groups although there are many more self-identified and sub groups. These groups are distinguished by their own customs, beliefs and rituals.
    38-06_1_1.jpg
  • Two female Lao tourists riding an Asian elephant with the mahout (handler) at the annual Sayaboury elephant festival, Sayaboury province, Lao PDR. Originally created by ElefantAsia in 2007, the 3-day elephant festival takes place in February in the province of Sayaboury with over 80,000 local and international people coming together to experience the grand procession of decorated elephants. It is now organised by the provincial government of Sayaboury.The Elephant Festival is designed to draw the public's attention to the condition of the endangered elephant, whilst acknowledging and celebrating the ancestral tradition of elephant domestication and the way of life chosen by the mahout. <br />
<br />
Laos was once known as the land of a million elephants but now there are fewer than 900 living in the country. Around 470 of them are in captivity, traditionally employed by a lucrative logging industry. Elephants are trained and worked by a mahout (handler) whose relationship to the animal is often described as a marriage and can last a lifetime. But captive elephants are often overworked and exhausted and as a consequence no longer breed. With only two elephants born for every ten that die, the Asian elephant, the sacred national emblem of Laos, is under serious threat of extinction.
    A0029297cc_1.jpg
  • The recently relocated village of Ban Thong Chalern in Sayaboury province, Lao PDR. Ban Thong Chalern consists of three villages (Khmu and Lao Loum) which have been joined together due to relocation because of the ongoing construction of the Xayaburi Dam in Northern Laos. The Xayaburi Dam is a hydroelectric dam under construction on the Lower Mekong River approximately 30 kilometres east of Xayaburi town in Northern Laos. The project is surrounded in controversy due to complaints from downstream riparians and environmentalists that the dam would cause significant and irreversible damage to the river's ecosystem. Funded by a Thai company, 90% of the electricity produced by the dam has already been pre-sold to Thailand.
    A0029201cc_1.jpg
  • Two young Lao boys riding on the back of a female Asian elephant carrying chains at Sayaboury elephant festival, Sayaboury province, Lao PDR. Originally created by ElefantAsia in 2007, the 3-day elephant festival takes place in February in the province of Sayaboury with over 80,000 local and international people coming together to experience the grand procession of decorated elephants. It is now organised by the provincial government of Sayaboury.The Elephant Festival is designed to draw the public's attention to the condition of the endangered elephant, whilst acknowledging and celebrating the ancestral tradition of elephant domestication and the way of life chosen by the mahout. Laos was once known as the land of a million elephants but now there are fewer than 900 living in the country. Around 470 of them are in captivity, traditionally employed by a lucrative logging industry. Elephants are trained and worked by a mahout (handler) whose relationship to the animal is often described as a marriage and can last a lifetime. But captive elephants are often overworked and exhausted and as a consequence no longer breed. With only two elephants born for every ten that die, the Asian elephant, the sacred national emblem of Laos, is under serious threat of extinction.
    A0029434cc_1.jpg
  • A mahout washes Mae Khram Di, a female Asian elephant and her baby Noy An in the lake at the Elephant Conservation Center (ECC) in Sayaboury province, Lao PDR. The ECC launched in association with the NGO ElefantAsia offers an innovative experience to visitors that combines conservation of the endangered Asian elephant with eco-tourism. Laos was once known as the land of a million elephants but now there are fewer than 900 living in the country. Around 470 of them are in captivity, traditionally employed by a lucrative logging industry. But captive elephants are often overworked and exhausted and as a consequence no longer breed. With only two elephants born for every ten that die, the Asian elephant, the sacred national emblem of Laos, is under serious threat of extinction. At the Elephant Conservation Center in Sayaboury province, the elephant nursery is an innovative reproduction project led by Lao mahouts and the Center.
    A0030088cc_1.jpg
  • The recently relocated village of Ban Thong Chalern in Sayaboury province, Lao PDR. Ban Thong Chalern consists of three villages (Khmu and Lao Loum) which have been joined together due to relocation because of the ongoing construction of the Xayaburi Dam in Northern Laos. The Xayaburi Dam is a hydroelectric dam under construction on the Lower Mekong River approximately 30 kilometres east of Xayaburi town in Northern Laos. The project is surrounded in controversy due to complaints from downstream riparians and environmentalists that the dam would cause significant and irreversible damage to the river's ecosystem. Funded by a Thai company, 90% of the electricity produced by the dam has already been pre-sold to Thailand.
    A0029199cc_1.jpg
  • The recently relocated village of Ban Thong Chalern in Sayaboury province, Lao PDR. Ban Thong Chalern consists of three villages (Khmu and Lao Loum) which have been joined together due to relocation because of the ongoing construction of the Xayaburi Dam in Northern Laos. The Xayaburi Dam is a hydroelectric dam under construction on the Lower Mekong River approximately 30 kilometres east of Xayaburi town in Northern Laos. The project is surrounded in controversy due to complaints from downstream riparians and environmentalists that the dam would cause significant and irreversible damage to the river's ecosystem. Funded by a Thai company, 90% of the electricity produced by the dam has already been pre-sold to Thailand.
    A0029193cc_1.jpg
  • A mahout (handler) hands his Asian elephant a piece of sugar cane during the baci ceremony at Sayaboury elephant festival, Sayaboury province, Lao PDR. The baci is a long series of chanted blessings and exhortations to welcome back any ‘kwans’ or body spirits that might have been lost. In traditional Lao culture it is believed that elephants, like humans, have 32 kwan (or souls), vital for health and spiritual wellbeing.<br />
<br />
Originally created by ElefantAsia in 2007, the 3-day elephant festival takes place in February in the province of Sayaboury with over 80,000 local and international people coming together to experience the grand procession of decorated elephants. It is now organised by the provincial government of Sayaboury.The Elephant Festival is designed to draw the public's attention to the condition of the endangered elephant, whilst acknowledging and celebrating the ancestral tradition of elephant domestication and the way of life chosen by the mahout. Laos was once known as the land of a million elephants but now there are fewer than 900 living in the country. Around 470 of them are in captivity, traditionally employed by a lucrative logging industry. Elephats are trained and worked by a mahout (handler) whose relationship to the animal is often described as a marriage and can last a lifetime. But captive elephants are often overworked and exhausted and as a consequence no longer breed. With only two elephants born for every ten that die, the Asian elephant, the sacred national emblem of Laos, is under serious threat of extinction.
    A0029587cc_1.jpg
  • Miss Minnesota USA 2012, Nitaya Panemalaythong, the first Asian American Miss Minnesota USA, having a manicure at Sengsavang beauty salon, a social enterprise in Vientiane, Lao PDR supported by AFESIP Laos. Sengsavang salon offers beauty training and an income generating activity that supports former victims of trafficking to return to a normal life through a sustainable community reintegration. AFESIP (Agir pour les Femmes en Situation Precaire / Acting for Women in Distressing Situations) is a French non-governmental, non-partisan and non-religious organisation. AFESIP Laos combats the causes and consequences of trafficking and sexual exploitation of women and girls.
    A0015275cc_1.jpg
  • Mae Khram Di, a female Asian elephant and her baby Noy An at the Elephant Conservation Center (ECC) in Sayaboury province, Lao PDR. The ECC launched in association with the NGO ElefantAsia offers an innovative experience to visitors that combines conservation of the endangered Asian elephant with eco-tourism. Laos was once known as the land of a million elephants but now there are fewer than 900 living in the country. Around 470 of them are in captivity, traditionally employed by a lucrative logging industry. But captive elephants are often overworked and exhausted and as a consequence no longer breed. With only two elephants born for every ten that die, the Asian elephant, the sacred national emblem of Laos, is under serious threat of extinction. At the Elephant Conservation Center in Sayaboury province, the elephant nursery is an innovative reproduction project led by Lao mahouts and the Center.
    DSCF5129cc_1.jpg
  • Asian elephants and their mahouts (handlers) enjoy bathing in the lake at the Elephant Conservation Center (ECC) in Sayaboury province, Lao PDR. The ECC launched in association with the NGO ElefantAsia offers an innovative experience to visitors that combines conservation of the endangered Asian elephant with eco-tourism. Laos was once known as the land of a million elephants but now there are fewer than 900 living in the country. Around 470 of them are in captivity, traditionally employed by a lucrative logging industry. But captive elephants are often overworked and exhausted and as a consequence no longer breed. With only two elephants born for every ten that die, the Asian elephant, the sacred national emblem of Laos, is under serious threat of extinction. At the Elephant Conservation Center in Sayaboury province, the elephant nursery is an innovative reproduction project led by Lao mahouts and the Center.
    A0030101cc_1.jpg
  • Mae Khram Di, a female Asian elephant and her baby Noy An at the Elephant Conservation Center (ECC) in Sayaboury province, Lao PDR. The ECC launched in association with the NGO ElefantAsia offers an innovative experience to visitors that combines conservation of the endangered Asian elephant with eco-tourism. Laos was once known as the land of a million elephants but now there are fewer than 900 living in the country. Around 470 of them are in captivity, traditionally employed by a lucrative logging industry. But captive elephants are often overworked and exhausted and as a consequence no longer breed. With only two elephants born for every ten that die, the Asian elephant, the sacred national emblem of Laos, is under serious threat of extinction. At the Elephant Conservation Center in Sayaboury province, the elephant nursery is an innovative reproduction project led by Lao mahouts and the Center.
    A0030084cc_1.jpg
  • Mahouts and their elephants at a baci ceremony at the Sayaboury elephant festival, Sayaboury province, Lao PDR. The baci is a long series of chanted blessings and exhortations to welcome back any ‘kwans’ or body spirits that might have been lost. In traditional Lao culture it is believed that elephants, like humans, have 32 kwan (or souls), vital for health and spiritual wellbeing.<br />
<br />
Originally created by ElefantAsia in 2007, the 3-day elephant festival takes place in February in the province of Sayaboury with over 80,000 local and international people coming together to experience the grand procession of decorated elephants. It is now organised by the provincial government of Sayaboury.The Elephant Festival is designed to draw the public's attention to the condition of the endangered elephant, whilst acknowledging and celebrating the ancestral tradition of elephant domestication and the way of life chosen by the mahout. Laos was once known as the land of a million elephants but now there are fewer than 900 living in the country. Around 470 of them are in captivity, traditionally employed by a lucrative logging industry. Elephats are trained and worked by a mahout (handler) whose relationship to the animal is often described as a marriage and can last a lifetime. But captive elephants are often overworked and exhausted and as a consequence no longer breed. With only two elephants born for every ten that die, the Asian elephant, the sacred national emblem of Laos, is under serious threat of extinction.
    A0029597cc_1.jpg
  • Portrait of four young Hmong Der (White Hmong) women wearing contemporary Hmong traditional costume at Ban Km 52 Hmong New Year festival, Vientiane province, Lao PDR. The Hmong celebration of New Year is based on the lunar calendar. This important time is an opportunity to honour ancestors and spirits through offerings and rituals and to partake in games, sports, feasts, shows, bullfights and courtship. The Hmong are the third largest ethnic group in Laos. One of the most ethnically diverse countries in Southeast Asia, Laos has 49 officially recognised ethnic groups although there are many more self-identified and sub groups. These groups are distinguished by their own customs, beliefs and rituals.
    A0028567cc_1.jpg
  • Bringing offerings of flowers, incense sticks and candles to Buddha at the That Luang festival, Vientiane, Lao PDR. Pha That Luang is the national symbol and most important religious monument of Laos. Vientiane's most important Theravada Buddhist festival, "Boun That Luang", is held here for three days during the full moon of the twelfth lunar month (November). Monks and laypeople from all over Laos congregate to celebrate the occasion with three days of religious ceremony followed by a week of festivities, day and night. The procession of laypeople begins at Wat Si Muang in the city centre and proceeds to Pha That Luang to make offerings to the monks in order to accumulate merit for rebirth into a better life. The religious part concludes as laypeople, carrying incense and candles as offerings, circumambulate Pha That Luang three times in honor of Buddha.
    DSCF3134cc_1.jpg
  • Buddhist monks collecting alms at the That Luang festival, Vientiane, Lao PDR. Pha That Luang is the national symbol and most important religious monument of Laos. Vientiane's most important Theravada Buddhist festival, "Boun That Luang", is held here for three days during the full moon of the twelfth lunar month (November). Monks and laypeople from all over Laos congregate to celebrate the occasion with three days of religious ceremony followed by a week of festivities, day and night. The procession of laypeople begins at Wat Si Muang in the city centre and proceeds to Pha That Luang to make offerings to the monks in order to accumulate merit for rebirth into a better life. The religious part concludes as laypeople, carrying incense and candles as offerings, circumambulate Pha That Luang three times in honor of Buddha.
    DSCF3114cc_1.jpg
  • Alms giving (tak bat) at That Luang festival, Vientiane, Lao PDR. Pha That Luang is the national symbol and most important religious monument of Laos. Vientiane's most important Theravada Buddhist festival, "Boun That Luang", is held here for three days during the full moon of the twelfth lunar month (November). Monks and laypeople from all over Laos congregate to celebrate the occasion with three days of religious ceremony followed by a week of festivities, day and night. The procession of laypeople begins at Wat Si Muang in the city centre and proceeds to Pha That Luang to make offerings to the monks in order to accumulate merit for rebirth into a better life. The religious part concludes as laypeople, carrying incense and candles as offerings, circumambulate Pha That Luang three times in honor of Buddha.
    DSCF3077cc_1.jpg
  • Alms giving (tak bat) at the That Luang festival, Vientiane, Lao PDR. Pha That Luang is the national symbol and most important religious monument of Laos. Vientiane's most important Theravada Buddhist festival, "Boun That Luang", is held here for three days during the full moon of the twelfth lunar month (November). Monks and laypeople from all over Laos congregate to celebrate the occasion with three days of religious ceremony followed by a week of festivities, day and night. The procession of laypeople begins at Wat Si Muang in the city centre and proceeds to Pha That Luang to make offerings to the monks in order to accumulate merit for rebirth into a better life. The religious part concludes as laypeople, carrying incense and candles as offerings, circumambulate Pha That Luang three times in honor of Buddha.
    DSCF3054cc_1.jpg
  • Buddhist monks collecting alms at the That Luang festival, Vientiane, Lao PDR. Pha That Luang is the national symbol and most important religious monument of Laos. Vientiane's most important Theravada Buddhist festival, "Boun That Luang", is held here for three days during the full moon of the twelfth lunar month (November). Monks and laypeople from all over Laos congregate to celebrate the occasion with three days of religious ceremony followed by a week of festivities, day and night. The procession of laypeople begins at Wat Si Muang in the city centre and proceeds to Pha That Luang to make offerings to the monks in order to accumulate merit for rebirth into a better life. The religious part concludes as laypeople, carrying incense and candles as offerings, circumambulate Pha That Luang three times in honor of Buddha.
    DSCF3005cc_1.jpg
  • Buddhist monks collecting alms at the That Luang festival, Vientiane, Lao PDR. Pha That Luang is the national symbol and most important religious monument of Laos. Vientiane's most important Theravada Buddhist festival, "Boun That Luang", is held here for three days during the full moon of the twelfth lunar month (November). Monks and laypeople from all over Laos congregate to celebrate the occasion with three days of religious ceremony followed by a week of festivities, day and night. The procession of laypeople begins at Wat Si Muang in the city centre and proceeds to Pha That Luang to make offerings to the monks in order to accumulate merit for rebirth into a better life. The religious part concludes as laypeople, carrying incense and candles as offerings, circumambulate Pha That Luang three times in honor of Buddha.
    DSCF2998cc_1.jpg
  • Young novice monks at the That Luang festival, Vientiane, Lao PDR. Pha That Luang is the national symbol and most important religious monument of Laos. Vientiane's most important Theravada Buddhist festival, "Boun That Luang", is held here for three days during the full moon of the twelfth lunar month (November). Monks and laypeople from all over Laos congregate to celebrate the occasion with three days of religious ceremony followed by a week of festivities, day and night. The procession of laypeople begins at Wat Si Muang in the city centre and proceeds to Pha That Luang to make offerings to the monks in order to accumulate merit for rebirth into a better life. The religious part concludes as laypeople, carrying incense and candles as offerings, circumambulate Pha That Luang three times in honor of Buddha.
    DSCF2994cc_1.jpg
  • White Hmong girl holding a cloth ball for playing the ball throwing game of ‘pov pob’ at Ban Hauywai Hmong New Year festival, Phongsaly province, Lao PDR. ‘Pov pob’ is a formalised courting ritual where unmarried men and women face each other in a line and toss cloth balls to one another using only one hand. The Hmong celebration of New Year is based on the lunar calendar. This important time is an opportunity to honour ancestors and spirits through offerings and rituals and to partake in games, sports, feasts, shows, bullfights and courtship. The Hmong are the third largest ethnic group in Laos. One of the most ethnically diverse countries in Southeast Asia, Laos has 49 officially recognised ethnic groups although there are many more self-identified and sub groups. These groups are distinguished by their own customs, beliefs and rituals.
    A0020676cc_1.jpg
  • Xieng Khouang is the most heavily bombed province in Laos the most heavily bombed country, per capita in the world. Unexploded ordnance or UXO are explosive weapons, bombs, bullets, shells, landmines etc that did not explode when they were employed and still pose a risk of detonation. 'Bombies' are the most common form of UXO remaining - approximately 80 million unexploded bombies remained in Laos after the Vietnam War. They cause more accidents than any other type of UXO in Laos. Two year old Hmong boy Kayeng was blinded by a UXO accident whilst playing with his uncles nearby his home in Ban Tong. The photograph shows Kayeng with his grandmother Yee.
    A0012697cc_1_1.jpg
  • Mae Khram Di, a female Asian elephant and her baby Noy An at the Elephant Conservation Center (ECC) in Sayaboury province, Lao PDR. The ECC launched in association with the NGO ElefantAsia offers an innovative experience to visitors that combines conservation of the endangered Asian elephant with eco-tourism. Laos was once known as the land of a million elephants but now there are fewer than 900 living in the country. Around 470 of them are in captivity, traditionally employed by a lucrative logging industry. But captive elephants are often overworked and exhausted and as a consequence no longer breed. With only two elephants born for every ten that die, the Asian elephant, the sacred national emblem of Laos, is under serious threat of extinction. At the Elephant Conservation Center in Sayaboury province, the elephant nursery is an innovative reproduction project led by Lao mahouts and the Center.
    DSCF5123cc_1.jpg
  • Noy An, a female baby Asian elephant born in January 2015 at the Elephant Conservation Center (ECC) in Sayaboury province, Lao PDR. The ECC launched in association with the NGO ElefantAsia offers an innovative experience to visitors that combines conservation of the endangered Asian elephant with eco-tourism. Laos was once known as the land of a million elephants but now there are fewer than 900 living in the country. Around 470 of them are in captivity, traditionally employed by a lucrative logging industry. But captive elephants are often overworked and exhausted and as a consequence no longer breed. With only two elephants born for every ten that die, the Asian elephant, the sacred national emblem of Laos, is under serious threat of extinction. At the Elephant Conservation Center in Sayaboury province, the elephant nursery is an innovative reproduction project led by Lao mahouts and the Center. It relies on voluntary participation and aims to support mahouts involved in logging to bear the cost of breeding their elephant.
    A0030040cc_1.jpg
  • Mae Khram Di, a female Asian elephant and her baby Noy An at the Elephant Conservation Center (ECC) in Sayaboury province, Lao PDR. The ECC launched in association with the NGO ElefantAsia offers an innovative experience to visitors that combines conservation of the endangered Asian elephant with eco-tourism. Laos was once known as the land of a million elephants but now there are fewer than 900 living in the country. Around 470 of them are in captivity, traditionally employed by a lucrative logging industry. But captive elephants are often overworked and exhausted and as a consequence no longer breed. With only two elephants born for every ten that die, the Asian elephant, the sacred national emblem of Laos, is under serious threat of extinction. At the Elephant Conservation Center in Sayaboury province, the elephant nursery is an innovative reproduction project led by Lao mahouts and the Center. It relies on voluntary participation and aims to support mahouts involved in logging to bear the cost of breeding their elephant.
    A0030039cc_1.jpg
  • A mahout (handler) with Mae Khram Di, a female Asian elephant and her baby Noy An at the Elephant Conservation Center (ECC) in Sayaboury province, Lao PDR. The ECC launched in association with the NGO ElefantAsia offers an innovative experience to visitors that combines conservation of the endangered Asian elephant with eco-tourism. Laos was once known as the land of a million elephants but now there are fewer than 900 living in the country. Around 470 of them are in captivity, traditionally employed by a lucrative logging industry. But captive elephants are often overworked and exhausted and as a consequence no longer breed. With only two elephants born for every ten that die, the Asian elephant, the sacred national emblem of Laos, is under serious threat of extinction. At the Elephant Conservation Center in Sayaboury province, the elephant nursery is an innovative reproduction project led by Lao mahouts and the Center. It relies on voluntary participation and aims to support mahouts involved in logging to bear the cost of breeding their elephant.
    A0030034cc_1.jpg
  • A view of Ban Neunsavang - originally four villages (Khmu and Lao Loum) which have been joined together due to relocation because of the ongoing construction of the Xayaburi Dam in Northern Laos. The Xayaburi Dam is a hydroelectric dam under construction on the Lower Mekong River approximately 30 kilometres east of Xayaburi town in Northern Laos. The project is surrounded in controversy due to complaints from downstream riparians and environmentalists that the dam would cause significant and irreversible damage to the river's ecosystem. Funded by a Thai company, 90% of the electricity produced by the dam has already been pre-sold to Thailand.
    A0029185cc_1.jpg
  • Buddhist monks and important local dignitaries during the baci ceremony at the Sayaboury elephant festival, Sayaboury province, Lao PDR. The baci is a long series of chanted blessings and exhortations to welcome back any ‘kwans’ or body spirits that might have been lost. In traditional Lao culture it is believed that elephants, like humans, have 32 kwan (or souls), vital for health and spiritual wellbeing.<br />
<br />
Originally created by ElefantAsia in 2007, the 3-day elephant festival takes place in February in the province of Sayaboury with over 80,000 local and international people coming together to experience the grand procession of decorated elephants. It is now organised by the provincial government of Sayaboury.The Elephant Festival is designed to draw the public's attention to the condition of the endangered elephant, whilst acknowledging and celebrating the ancestral tradition of elephant domestication and the way of life chosen by the mahout. Laos was once known as the land of a million elephants but now there are fewer than 900 living in the country. Around 470 of them are in captivity, traditionally employed by a lucrative logging industry. Elephants are trained and worked by a mahout (handler) whose relationship to the animal is often described as a marriage and can last a lifetime. But captive elephants are often overworked and exhausted and as a consequence no longer breed. With only two elephants born for every ten that die, the Asian elephant, the sacred national emblem of Laos, is under serious threat of extinction.
    A0029593cc_1.jpg
  • A domesticated Asian elephant with a tinsel decoration on her tail ready for the procession at the annual Sayaboury elephant festival, Sayaboury province, Lao PDR. Originally created by ElefantAsia in 2007, the 3-day elephant festival takes place in February in the province of Sayaboury with over 80,000 local and international people coming together to experience the grand procession of decorated elephants. It is now organised by the provincial government of Sayaboury.The Elephant Festival is designed to draw the public's attention to the condition of the endangered elephant, whilst acknowledging and celebrating the ancestral tradition of elephant domestication and the way of life chosen by the mahout. Laos was once known as the land of a million elephants but now there are fewer than 900 living in the country. Around 470 of them are in captivity, traditionally employed by a lucrative logging industry. Elephants are trained and worked by a mahout (handler) whose relationship to the animal is often described as a marriage and can last a lifetime. But captive elephants are often overworked and exhausted and as a consequence no longer breed. With only two elephants born for every ten that die, the Asian elephant, the sacred national emblem of Laos, is under serious threat of extinction.
    A0029407cc_1.jpg
  • A domesticated Asian elephant with a tinsel decorated tail ready for the procession at the annual Sayaboury elephant festival, Sayaboury province, Lao PDR. Originally created by ElefantAsia in 2007, the 3-day elephant festival takes place in February in the province of Sayaboury with over 80,000 local and international people coming together to experience the grand procession of decorated elephants. It is now organised by the provincial government of Sayaboury.The Elephant Festival is designed to draw the public's attention to the condition of the endangered elephant, whilst acknowledging and celebrating the ancestral tradition of elephant domestication and the way of life chosen by the mahout. Laos was once known as the land of a million elephants but now there are fewer than 900 living in the country. Around 470 of them are in captivity, traditionally employed by a lucrative logging industry. Elephants are trained and worked by a mahout (handler) whose relationship to the animal is often described as a marriage and can last a lifetime. But captive elephants are often overworked and exhausted and as a consequence no longer breed. With only two elephants born for every ten that die, the Asian elephant, the sacred national emblem of Laos, is under serious threat of extinction.
    A0029396cc_1.jpg
  • A domesticated female Asian elephant and her mahout at the annual Sayaboury Elephant Festival. Sayaboury province, Lao PDR. Originally created by ElefantAsia in 2007, the 3-day elephant festival takes place in February in the province of Sayaboury with over 80,000 local and international people coming together to experience the grand procession of decorated elephants. It is now organised by the provincial government of Sayaboury.The Elephant Festival is designed to draw the public's attention to the condition of the endangered elephant, whilst acknowledging and celebrating the ancestral tradition of elephant domestication and the way of life chosen by the mahout. Laos was once known as the land of a million elephants but now there are fewer than 900 living in the country. Around 470 of them are in captivity, traditionally employed by a lucrative logging industry. Elephants are trained and worked by a mahout (handler) whose relationship to the animal is often described as a marriage and can last a lifetime. But captive elephants are often overworked and exhausted and as a consequence no longer breed. With only two elephants born for every ten that die, the Asian elephant, the sacred national emblem of Laos, is under serious threat of extinction.
    A0029215cc_1.jpg
  • A domesticated female Asian elephant eating sugar cane wears a traditional wooden bell at the annual Sayaboury Elephant Festival. Sayaboury province, Lao PDR. Originally created by ElefantAsia in 2007, the 3-day elephant festival takes place in February in the province of Sayaboury with over 80,000 local and international people coming together to experience the grand procession of decorated elephants. It is now organised by the provincial government of Sayaboury. The Elephant Festival is designed to draw the public's attention to the condition of the endangered elephant, whilst acknowledging and celebrating the ancestral tradition of elephant domestication and the way of life chosen by the mahout. Laos was once known as the land of a million elephants but now there are fewer than 900 living in the country. Around 470 of them are in captivity, traditionally employed by a lucrative logging industry. Elephants are trained and worked by a mahout (handler) whose relationship to the animal is often described as a marriage and can last a lifetime. But captive elephants are often overworked and exhausted and as a consequence no longer breed. With only two elephants born for every ten that die, the Asian elephant, the sacred national emblem of Laos, is under serious threat of extinction.
    A0029213cc_1.jpg
  • Young Hmong Der (White Hmong) women wearing contemporary Hmong traditional costumes taking selfie portraits on a mobile phone at Ban Km 52 Hmong New Year celebration Vientiane province, Lao PDR. The Hmong celebration of New Year is based on the lunar calendar. This important time is an opportunity to honour ancestors and spirits through offerings and rituals and to partake in games, sports, feasts, shows, bullfights and courtship. The Hmong are the third largest ethnic group in Laos. One of the most ethnically diverse countries in Southeast Asia, Laos has 49 officially recognised ethnic groups although there are many more self-identified and sub groups. These groups are distinguished by their own customs, beliefs and rituals.
    A0028603cc_1.jpg
  • Young Hmong Der (White Hmong) women wearing contemporary Hmong traditional costumes taking selfie portraits on a mobile phone at Ban Km 52 Hmong New Year celebration Vientiane province, Lao PDR. The Hmong celebration of New Year is based on the lunar calendar. This important time is an opportunity to honour ancestors and spirits through offerings and rituals and to partake in games, sports, feasts, shows, bullfights and courtship. The Hmong are the third largest ethnic group in Laos. One of the most ethnically diverse countries in Southeast Asia, Laos has 49 officially recognised ethnic groups although there are many more self-identified and sub groups. These groups are distinguished by their own customs, beliefs and rituals.
    A0028597cc_1.jpg
  • Young Hmong Der (White Hmong) women wearing contemporary Hmong traditional costume at Ban Km 52 Hmong New Year festival, Vientiane province, Lao PDR. The Hmong celebration of New Year is based on the lunar calendar. This important time is an opportunity to honour ancestors and spirits through offerings and rituals and to partake in games, sports, feasts, shows, bullfights and courtship. The Hmong are the third largest ethnic group in Laos. One of the most ethnically diverse countries in Southeast Asia, Laos has 49 officially recognised ethnic groups although there are many more self-identified and sub groups. These groups are distinguished by their own customs, beliefs and rituals.
    A0028590cc_1.jpg
  • Hmong Der (White Hmong) women wearing contemporary Hmong traditional costume at Ban Km 52 Hmong New Year festival, Vientiane province, Lao PDR. The Hmong celebration of New Year is based on the lunar calendar. This important time is an opportunity to honour ancestors and spirits through offerings and rituals and to partake in games, sports, feasts, shows, bullfights and courtship. The Hmong are the third largest ethnic group in Laos. One of the most ethnically diverse countries in Southeast Asia, Laos has 49 officially recognised ethnic groups although there are many more self-identified and sub groups. These groups are distinguished by their own customs, beliefs and rituals.
    A0028585cc_1.jpg
  • Young Hmong Der (White Hmong) women wearing contemporary Hmong traditional costume at Ban Km 52 Hmong New Year festival, Vientiane province, Lao PDR. The Hmong celebration of New Year is based on the lunar calendar. This important time is an opportunity to honour ancestors and spirits through offerings and rituals and to partake in games, sports, feasts, shows, bullfights and courtship. The Hmong are the third largest ethnic group in Laos. One of the most ethnically diverse countries in Southeast Asia, Laos has 49 officially recognised ethnic groups although there are many more self-identified and sub groups. These groups are distinguished by their own customs, beliefs and rituals.
    A0028562cc_1.jpg
  • Hmong Der (White Hmong) women wearing contemporary Hmong traditional costumes at Ban Km 52 Hmong New Year festival, Vientiane province, Lao PDR. The Hmong celebration of New Year is based on the lunar calendar. This important time is an opportunity to honour ancestors and spirits through offerings and rituals and to partake in games, sports, feasts, shows, bullfights and courtship. The Hmong are the third largest ethnic group in Laos. One of the most ethnically diverse countries in Southeast Asia, Laos has 49 officially recognised ethnic groups although there are many more self-identified and sub groups. These groups are distinguished by their own customs, beliefs and rituals.
    A0028552cc_1.jpg
  • Offerings of flowers and candles at the That Luang festival, Vientiane, Lao PDR. Pha That Luang is the national symbol and most important religious monument of Laos. Vientiane's most important Theravada Buddhist festival, "Boun That Luang", is held here for three days during the full moon of the twelfth lunar month (November). Monks and laypeople from all over Laos congregate to celebrate the occasion with three days of religious ceremony followed by a week of festivities, day and night. The procession of laypeople begins at Wat Si Muang in the city centre and proceeds to Pha That Luang to make offerings to the monks in order to accumulate merit for rebirth into a better life. The religious part concludes as laypeople, carrying incense and candles as offerings, circumambulate Pha That Luang three times in honor of Buddha.
    DSCF3146cc_1.jpg
  • Bringing offerings of flowers, incense sticks and candles to Buddha at the That Luang festival, Vientiane, Lao PDR. Pha That Luang is the national symbol and most important religious monument of Laos. Vientiane's most important Theravada Buddhist festival, "Boun That Luang", is held here for three days during the full moon of the twelfth lunar month (November). Monks and laypeople from all over Laos congregate to celebrate the occasion with three days of religious ceremony followed by a week of festivities, day and night. The procession of laypeople begins at Wat Si Muang in the city centre and proceeds to Pha That Luang to make offerings to the monks in order to accumulate merit for rebirth into a better life. The religious part concludes as laypeople, carrying incense and candles as offerings, circumambulate Pha That Luang three times in honor of Buddha.
    DSCF3133cc_1.jpg
  • Alms giving (tak bat) at the That Luang festival, Vientiane, Lao PDR. Pha That Luang is the national symbol and most important religious monument of Laos. Vientiane's most important Theravada Buddhist festival, "Boun That Luang", is held here for three days during the full moon of the twelfth lunar month (November). Monks and laypeople from all over Laos congregate to celebrate the occasion with three days of religious ceremony followed by a week of festivities, day and night. The procession of laypeople begins at Wat Si Muang in the city centre and proceeds to Pha That Luang to make offerings to the monks in order to accumulate merit for rebirth into a better life. The religious part concludes as laypeople, carrying incense and candles as offerings, circumambulate Pha That Luang three times in honor of Buddha.
    DSCF3085cc_1.jpg
  • Monks collecting alms at the That Luang festival, Vientiane, Lao PDR. Pha That Luang is the national symbol and most important religious monument of Laos. Vientiane's most important Theravada Buddhist festival, "Boun That Luang", is held here for three days during the full moon of the twelfth lunar month (November). Monks and laypeople from all over Laos congregate to celebrate the occasion with three days of religious ceremony followed by a week of festivities, day and night. The procession of laypeople begins at Wat Si Muang in the city centre and proceeds to Pha That Luang to make offerings to the monks in order to accumulate merit for rebirth into a better life. The religious part concludes as laypeople, carrying incense and candles as offerings, circumambulate Pha That Luang three times in honor of Buddha.
    DSCF3072cc_1.jpg
  • That Luang festival, Vientiane, Lao PDR. Pha That Luang is the national symbol and most important religious monument of Laos. Vientiane's most important Theravada Buddhist festival, "Boun That Luang", is held here for three days during the full moon of the twelfth lunar month (November). Monks and laypeople from all over Laos congregate to celebrate the occasion with three days of religious ceremony followed by a week of festivities, day and night. The procession of laypeople begins at Wat Si Muang in the city centre and proceeds to Pha That Luang to make offerings to the monks in order to accumulate merit for rebirth into a better life. The religious part concludes as laypeople, carrying incense and candles as offerings, circumambulate Pha That Luang three times in honor of Buddha.
    DSCF3046cc_1.jpg
  • Giving offerings to Buddha at the That Luang festival, Vientiane, Lao PDR. Pha That Luang is the national symbol and most important religious monument of Laos. Vientiane's most important Theravada Buddhist festival, "Boun That Luang", is held here for three days during the full moon of the twelfth lunar month (November). Monks and laypeople from all over Laos congregate to celebrate the occasion with three days of religious ceremony followed by a week of festivities, day and night. The procession of laypeople begins at Wat Si Muang in the city centre and proceeds to Pha That Luang to make offerings to the monks in order to accumulate merit for rebirth into a better life. The religious part concludes as laypeople, carrying incense and candles as offerings, circumambulate Pha That Luang three times in honor of Buddha.
    DSCF3041cc_1.jpg
  • That Luang festival, Vientiane, Lao PDR. Pha That Luang is the national symbol and most important religious monument of Laos. Vientiane's most important Theravada Buddhist festival, "Boun That Luang", is held here for three days during the full moon of the twelfth lunar month (November). Monks and laypeople from all over Laos congregate to celebrate the occasion with three days of religious ceremony followed by a week of festivities, day and night. The procession of laypeople begins at Wat Si Muang in the city centre and proceeds to Pha That Luang to make offerings to the monks in order to accumulate merit for rebirth into a better life. The religious part concludes as laypeople, carrying incense and candles as offerings, circumambulate Pha That Luang three times in honor of Buddha.
    DSCF3025cc_1.jpg
  • Giving offerings of candles and flowers to Buddha at the That Luang festival, Vientiane, Lao PDR. Pha That Luang is the national symbol and most important religious monument of Laos. Vientiane's most important Theravada Buddhist festival, "Boun That Luang", is held here for three days during the full moon of the twelfth lunar month (November). Monks and laypeople from all over Laos congregate to celebrate the occasion with three days of religious ceremony followed by a week of festivities, day and night. The procession of laypeople begins at Wat Si Muang in the city centre and proceeds to Pha That Luang to make offerings to the monks in order to accumulate merit for rebirth into a better life. The religious part concludes as laypeople, carrying incense and candles as offerings, circumambulate Pha That Luang three times in honor of Buddha.
    DSCF3022cc_1.jpg
  • A Khmu man weaving a bamboo sticky rice basket outside his home in Ban Phatao, Phongsaly province, Lao PDR. Renowned for their superior basket weaving skills, the Khmu belong to the Mon-Khmer language group considered to be the original inhabitants of Laos and are the largest ethnic minority with many sub-groups resident in all provinces of Northern Laos. Ban Phatao will soon be temporarily relocated away from the Nam Ou river due to the construction of the Nam Ou Cascade Hydropower Project Dam 5.
    A0027132cc_1.jpg
  • Portrait of an Akha Oma ethnic minority woman wearing her traditional clothing; Ban Sala Aebe, Phongsaly Province, Lao PDR. The Oma are one of Laos’ smallest ethnic groups with only a few villages in Phongsaly Province. Cotton growers, indigo dyers and exquisite embroiderers result in traditional clothing being both colourful and unique. One of the most ethnically diverse countries in Southeast Asia, Laos has 49 officially recognised ethnic groups although there are many more self-identified and sub groups. These groups are distinguished by their own customs, beliefs and rituals. Details down to the embroidery on a shirt, the colour of the trim and the type of skirt all help signify the wearer's ethnic and clan affiliations.
    A0013823cc_1.jpg
  • Xieng Khouang is the most heavily bombed province in Laos, the most heavily bombed country, per capita in the world. Unexploded ordnance or UXO are explosive weapons, bombs, bullets, shells, landmines etc that did not explode when they were employed and still pose a risk of detonation. 'Bombies' are the most common form of UXO remaining - approximately 80 million unexploded bombies remained in Laos after the Vietnam War. They cause more accidents than any other type of UXO in Laos.
    UXO Montage 50mb_1_1.jpg
  • Mae Khram Di, a female Asian elephant and her baby Noy An at their baci ceremony at the Elephant Conservation Center (ECC) in Sayaboury province, Lao PDR. The ECC launched in association with the NGO ElefantAsia offers an innovative experience to visitors that combines conservation of the endangered Asian elephant with eco-tourism. Laos was once known as the land of a million elephants but now there are fewer than 900 living in the country. Around 470 of them are in captivity, traditionally employed by a lucrative logging industry. But captive elephants are often overworked and exhausted and as a consequence no longer breed. With only two elephants born for every ten that die, the Asian elephant, the sacred national emblem of Laos, is under serious threat of extinction. At the Elephant Conservation Center in Sayaboury province, the elephant nursery is an innovative reproduction project led by Lao mahouts and the Center. It relies on voluntary participation and aims to support mahouts involved in logging to bear the cost of breeding their elephant.
    A0030057cc_1.jpg
  • Mae Khram Di, a female Asian elephant and her baby Noy An during their baci ceremony at the Elephant Conservation Center (ECC) in Sayaboury province, Lao PDR. The ECC launched in association with the NGO ElefantAsia offers an innovative experience to visitors that combines conservation of the endangered Asian elephant with eco-tourism. Laos was once known as the land of a million elephants but now there are fewer than 900 living in the country. Around 470 of them are in captivity, traditionally employed by a lucrative logging industry. But captive elephants are often overworked and exhausted and as a consequence no longer breed. With only two elephants born for every ten that die, the Asian elephant, the sacred national emblem of Laos, is under serious threat of extinction. At the Elephant Conservation Center in Sayaboury province, the elephant nursery is an innovative reproduction project led by Lao mahouts and the Center. It relies on voluntary participation and aims to support mahouts involved in logging to bear the cost of breeding their elephant.
    A0030055cc_1.jpg
  • Mahouts with their domesticated female Asian elephant decorated ready for the procession at the annual Sayaboury elephant festival, Sayaboury province, Lao PDR. Originally created by ElefantAsia in 2007, the 3-day elephant festival takes place in February in the province of Sayaboury with over 80,000 local and international people coming together to experience the grand procession of decorated elephants. It is now organised by the provincial government of Sayaboury.The Elephant Festival is designed to draw the public's attention to the condition of the endangered elephant, whilst acknowledging and celebrating the ancestral tradition of elephant domestication and the way of life chosen by the mahout. Laos was once known as the land of a million elephants but now there are fewer than 900 living in the country. Around 470 of them are in captivity, traditionally employed by a lucrative logging industry. Elephants are trained and worked by a mahout (handler) whose relationship to the animal is often described as a marriage and can last a lifetime. But captive elephants are often overworked and exhausted and as a consequence no longer breed. With only two elephants born for every ten that die, the Asian elephant, the sacred national emblem of Laos, is under serious threat of extinction.
    A0029330cc_1.jpg
  • A mahout and his male Asian elephant ready for the procession at the annual Sayaboury elephant festival, Sayaboury province, Lao PDR. Originally created by ElefantAsia in 2007, the 3-day elephant festival takes place in February in the province of Sayaboury with over 80,000 local and international people coming together to experience the grand procession of decorated elephants. It is now organised by the provincial government of Sayaboury.The Elephant Festival is designed to draw the public's attention to the condition of the endangered elephant, whilst acknowledging and celebrating the ancestral tradition of elephant domestication and the way of life chosen by the mahout. Laos was once known as the land of a million elephants but now there are fewer than 900 living in the country. Around 470 of them are in captivity, traditionally employed by a lucrative logging industry. Elephants are trained and worked by a mahout (handler) whose relationship to the animal is often described as a marriage and can last a lifetime. But captive elephants are often overworked and exhausted and as a consequence no longer breed. With only two elephants born for every ten that die, the Asian elephant, the sacred national emblem of Laos, is under serious threat of extinction.
    A0029262cc_1.jpg
  • A mahout (handler) decorates a male Asian elephant ready for the parade at the annual Sayaboury elephant festival, Sayaboury province, Lao PDR. The Elephant Festival is designed to draw the public's attention to the condition of the endangered elephant, whilst acknowledging and celebrating the ancestral tradition of elephant domestication and the way of life chosen by the mahout. Originally created by ElefantAsia in 2007, the 3-day elephant festival takes place in February in the province of Sayaboury with over 80,000 local and international people coming together to experience the grand procession of decorated elephants. Laos was once known as the land of a million elephants but now there are fewer than 900 living in the country. Around 470 of them are in captivity, traditionally employed by a lucrative logging industry. Elephants are trained and worked by a mahout (handler) whose relationship to the animal is often described as a marriage and can last a lifetime. But captive elephants are often overworked and exhausted and as a consequence no longer breed. With only two elephants born for every ten that die, the Asian elephant, the sacred national emblem of Laos, is under serious threat of extinction.
    A0029253cc_1.jpg
  • A domesticated female Asian elephant holding sugar cane in her trunk and wearing a traditional wooden bell at the Sayaboury Elephant Festival. Sayaboury province, Lao PDR.<br />
<br />
Originally created by ElefantAsia in 2007, the 3-day elephant festival takes place in February in the province of Sayaboury with over 80,000 local and international people coming together to experience the grand procession of decorated elephants. It is now organised by the provincial government of Sayaboury.The Elephant Festival is designed to draw the public's attention to the condition of the endangered elephant, whilst acknowledging and celebrating the ancestral tradition of elephant domestication and the way of life chosen by the mahout. Laos was once known as the land of a million elephants but now there are fewer than 900 living in the country. Around 470 of them are in captivity, traditionally employed by a lucrative logging industry. Elephants are trained and worked by a mahout (handler) whose relationship to the animal is often described as a marriage and can last a lifetime. But captive elephants are often overworked and exhausted and as a consequence no longer breed. With only two elephants born for every ten that die, the Asian elephant, the sacred national emblem of Laos, is under serious threat of extinction.
    A0029219cc_1.jpg
  • A mahout (handler) and his female Asian elephant at the Sayaboury Elephant Festival, Sayaboury province, Lao PDR. Originally created by ElefantAsia in 2007, the 3-day elephant festival takes place in February in the province of Sayaboury with over 80,000 local and international people coming together to experience the grand procession of decorated elephants. It is now organised by the provincial government of Sayaboury.<br />
<br />
The Elephant Festival is designed to draw the public's attention to the condition of the endangered elephant, whilst acknowledging and celebrating the ancestral tradition of elephant domestication and the way of life chosen by the mahout. Laos was once known as the land of a million elephants but now there are fewer than 900 living in the country. Around 470 of them are in captivity, traditionally employed by a lucrative logging industry. Elephants are trained and worked by a mahout (handler) whose relationship to the animal is often described as a marriage and can last a lifetime. But captive elephants are often overworked and exhausted and as a consequence no longer breed. With only two elephants born for every ten that die, the Asian elephant, the sacred national emblem of Laos, is under serious threat of extinction.
    A0029216cc_1.jpg
  • Young Hmong Der (White Hmong) women wearing contemporary Hmong traditional costumes taking selfie portraits on a mobile phone at Ban Km 52 Hmong New Year celebration Vientiane province, Lao PDR. The Hmong celebration of New Year is based on the lunar calendar. This important time is an opportunity to honour ancestors and spirits through offerings and rituals and to partake in games, sports, feasts, shows, bullfights and courtship. The Hmong are the third largest ethnic group in Laos. One of the most ethnically diverse countries in Southeast Asia, Laos has 49 officially recognised ethnic groups although there are many more self-identified and sub groups. These groups are distinguished by their own customs, beliefs and rituals.
    A0028608cc_1.jpg
  • Young Hmong Der (White Hmong) women wearing contemporary Hmong traditional costume at Ban Km 52 Hmong New Year festival, Vientiane province, Lao PDR. The Hmong celebration of New Year is based on the lunar calendar. This important time is an opportunity to honour ancestors and spirits through offerings and rituals and to partake in games, sports, feasts, shows, bullfights and courtship. The Hmong are the third largest ethnic group in Laos. One of the most ethnically diverse countries in Southeast Asia, Laos has 49 officially recognised ethnic groups although there are many more self-identified and sub groups. These groups are distinguished by their own customs, beliefs and rituals.
    A0028582cc_1.jpg
  • Hmong Der (White Hmong) women playing the ball throwing game of ‘pov pob’ at Ban Km 52 Hmong New Year festival, Vientiane province, Lao PDR. ‘Pov pob’ is a formalised courting ritual where unmarried men and women face each other in a line and toss cloth balls (or tennis balls) to one another using only one hand. The Hmong celebration of New Year is based on the lunar calendar. This important time is an opportunity to honour ancestors and spirits through offerings and rituals and to partake in games, sports, feasts, shows, bullfights and courtship. The Hmong are the third largest ethnic group in Laos. One of the most ethnically diverse countries in Southeast Asia, Laos has 49 officially recognised ethnic groups although there are many more self-identified and sub groups. These groups are distinguished by their own customs, beliefs and rituals.
    A0028575cc_1.jpg
  • Young Hmong Der (White Hmong) woman wearing contemporary Hmong traditional costume and carrying a Mickey Mouse bag at Ban Km 52 Hmong New Year festival, Vientiane province, Lao PDR. The Hmong celebration of New Year is based on the lunar calendar. This important time is an opportunity to honour ancestors and spirits through offerings and rituals and to partake in games, sports, feasts, shows, bullfights and courtship. The Hmong are the third largest ethnic group in Laos. One of the most ethnically diverse countries in Southeast Asia, Laos has 49 officially recognised ethnic groups although there are many more self-identified and sub groups. These groups are distinguished by their own customs, beliefs and rituals.
    A0028565cc_1.jpg
  • Portrait of two young Hmong Der (White Hmong) women wearing contemporary Hmong traditional costume at Ban Km 52 Hmong New Year festival, Vientiane province, Lao PDR. The Hmong celebration of New Year is based on the lunar calendar. This important time is an opportunity to honour ancestors and spirits through offerings and rituals and to partake in games, sports, feasts, shows, bullfights and courtship. The Hmong are the third largest ethnic group in Laos. One of the most ethnically diverse countries in Southeast Asia, Laos has 49 officially recognised ethnic groups although there are many more self-identified and sub groups. These groups are distinguished by their own customs, beliefs and rituals.
    A0028549cc_1.jpg
  • Hmong Der (White Hmong) women wearing contemporary Hmong traditional costumes at Ban Km 52 Hmong New Year festival, Vientiane province, Lao PDR. The Hmong celebration of New Year is based on the lunar calendar. This important time is an opportunity to honour ancestors and spirits through offerings and rituals and to partake in games, sports, feasts, shows, bullfights and courtship. The Hmong are the third largest ethnic group in Laos. One of the most ethnically diverse countries in Southeast Asia, Laos has 49 officially recognised ethnic groups although there are many more self-identified and sub groups. These groups are distinguished by their own customs, beliefs and rituals.
    A0028548cc_1.jpg
  • Hmong Der (White Hmong) women playing the ball throwing game of ‘pov pob’ at Ban Km 52 Hmong New Year festival, Vientiane province, Lao PDR. ‘Pov pob’ is a formalised courting ritual where unmarried men and women face each other in a line and toss cloth balls (or tennis balls) to one another using only one hand. The Hmong celebration of New Year is based on the lunar calendar. This important time is an opportunity to honour ancestors and spirits through offerings and rituals and to partake in games, sports, feasts, shows, bullfights and courtship. The Hmong are the third largest ethnic group in Laos. One of the most ethnically diverse countries in Southeast Asia, Laos has 49 officially recognised ethnic groups although there are many more self-identified and sub groups. These groups are distinguished by their own customs, beliefs and rituals.
    A0028545cc_1.jpg
  • Alms giving (tak bat) at the That Luang festival, Vientiane, Lao PDR. Pha That Luang is the national symbol and most important religious monument of Laos. Vientiane's most important Theravada Buddhist festival, "Boun That Luang", is held here for three days during the full moon of the twelfth lunar month (November). Monks and laypeople from all over Laos congregate to celebrate the occasion with three days of religious ceremony followed by a week of festivities, day and night. The procession of laypeople begins at Wat Si Muang in the city centre and proceeds to Pha That Luang to make offerings to the monks in order to accumulate merit for rebirth into a better life. The religious part concludes as laypeople, carrying incense and candles as offerings, circumambulate Pha That Luang three times in honor of Buddha.
    DSCF3150cc_1.jpg
  • Releasing birds at the That Luang festival, Vientiane, Lao PDR. Pha That Luang is the national symbol and most important religious monument of Laos. Vientiane's most important Theravada Buddhist festival, "Boun That Luang", is held here for three days during the full moon of the twelfth lunar month (November). Monks and laypeople from all over Laos congregate to celebrate the occasion with three days of religious ceremony followed by a week of festivities, day and night. The procession of laypeople begins at Wat Si Muang in the city centre and proceeds to Pha That Luang to make offerings to the monks in order to accumulate merit for rebirth into a better life. The religious part concludes as laypeople, carrying incense and candles as offerings, circumambulate Pha That Luang three times in honor of Buddha.
    DSCF3126cc_1.jpg
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