Laos PDR is a landlocked country that borders Vietnam, Thailand, Myanmar, and China to the north and has largely been overshadowed by its neighbours. But to know Laos is to understand its slower rhythms. To know the history of Laos is to hear a tale of exile, secret wars, warring kingdoms and now-toppled colonies. Here’s a (brief) look into the history and culture of what was one of the largest kingdoms in Southeast Asia.
THE LAO PEOPLE
The Lao people were a tribe originally from Yunnan, China, who were pushed south to the border of the Khmer Empire in the 13th century. The first Lao kingdom, called Lan Xang or “land of the million elephants,” was founded by Fa Ngum in 1353.
ORIGINS OF THE LAO KINGDOM
Fa Ngum was born into the royal family in Muang Sua, the capital of a small state ruled by King Souvanna Khampong. When Fa Ngum was a baby, his grandfather, the reigning king, expelled Fa Ngum’s father (the heir to the throne) for failing to live up to his princely responsibilities. The family sought refuge at Angkor, and thus, Fa Ngum was raised in the cradle of the Khmer empire.
As a grown man with a Khmer princess wife, Fa Ngum fought his way back along the Mekong Valley to regain his birthright in Muang Sua and to establish the unified Lao Kingdom. In an attempt to unite the various ethnic groups under the kingdom, he introduced Theravada Buddhism. His father-in-law, the Khmer king, sent Buddhist scholars and scriptures, as well as a sacred golden Buddha called Pra Bang. Pra Bang was considered a symbol of the right to rule Laos. It was placed in the capital, Muang Sua, which was renamed Luang Prabang in honour of the sacred image. For the next 200 years, Luang Prabang was the religious and cultural centre of the kingdom.