"Sabai dee pee mai" — Lao New Year Celebrated in Hunan

Lao New Year, also known as Pi Mai or Songkran, is celebrated from April 13 to 15, or April 14 to 16 every year. The Consulate General of Laos in Changsha held Lao New Year celebrations on April 8, 2023. More than 300 people from all walks of life around Hunan Province and Lao students studying in Hunan's universities gathered to celebrate this festival.

Traditional Lao New Year celebrations including praying and pouring water for good fortune were held. Lao delicacies were offered, and Lao specialty agricultural and sideline products were displayed, including coffee, tea, beer, and rice, creating a strong festive atmosphere.

Lao agricultural and sideline products are on display.

Laos appreciates the long-standing friendship with China, said Mr. Somkhit Vankham, consul general of the Lao People's Democratic Republic (PDR) to Changsha. He added that Laos and China have been maintaining a comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership as good comrades, good friends, good neighbors and good partners, and striving to establish an unbreakable community with a shared future.

Somkhit Vankham, consul general of Laos to Changsha, addresses the Lao New Year celebrations.

Lao students tie white cotton strings around participants' wrists as a traditional rite of Lao people to express good wishes.

After Somkhit Vankham delivered a speech, a string-tying ceremony was held. Representatives of all walks of life sat together, chanting and tying strings to extend New Year blessings. 

Representatives of all walks of life sit together, chanting and tying strings to extend New Year blessings.

The air route linking Hunan and Laos will be resumed this month, which will benefit more than 10,000 Hunan-born businessmen in Laos while facilitating economic and trade, cultural, tourism, and personnel exchanges between the two places. “I believed that with the resumed flights, more and more Lao people will come to visit splendid Hunan, and more Hunan people will go to explore distinctive Laos,” said Song Jiefeng, executive deputy chairperson of the Laos-China Business Cooperation Promotion Committee and honored chairperson of the Hunan Chamber of Commerce in Laos.

A group photo of Song Jiefeng (1st, R), winner of the Friendship Medal of Laos and executive deputy chairperson of the Laos-China Business Cooperation Promotion Committee; Somkhit Vankham (2nd, R), consul general of Laos to Changsha; Bouaphat Phoutthavong (2nd, L), consul general of Laos to Shanghai; and, Xiao Guoping, founder and chairperson of the Hunan Chamber of Commerce in Vietnam.

Lao students from Hunan, Guizhou, and Hubei provinces staged traditional Lao dances and songs and played the guitars at the event.

Lao students in Hunan perform traditional Lao dances.

Participating Lao student pose for a group photo.

Wang Sichen, a Lao student studying in the Changsha University of Science and Technology, said that he has stayed in Changsha for four years and has deep affection for Hunan Province. Changsha is a convenient city that gives the residents a strong sense of happiness, he said, adding that it is really special to celebrate the Lao New Year in Hunan. He loves Hunan's spicy food such as fish head steamed with chopped chili, and has made a lot of friends. He expected to work on promoting China-Laos trade after graduation, and hoped to introduce Hunan cuisine such as stinky Toufu to Laos while recommending Lao quality products to Hunan consumers.

Lao student Wang Sichen in Lao costume speaks about his experiences in Hunan.