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November 2007
A team of UNESCO officials have expressed concerns over the rise of new buildings and unplanned developments in the town of Luang Prabang, and urged local authorities to address the issue immediately, according to a senior heritage official.
T he director of the Luang Prabang Heritage Office, Ms Manivone Thoummabouth, said yesterday that the three UNESCO officials had made these comments to provincial authorities this week after having spent six days in the town to examine whether it is living up to its World Heritage status in the 10 years since it was granted.
“They told us unofficially about their concerns, so there has been no actual impact yet. We will know whether Luang Prabang can maintain its World Heritage status once they send us their official assessment,” she told Vientiane Times in a telephone interview.
She said that the UNESCO officials had completed their inspection yesterday and were scheduled to leave the town today. They would then take about a month to send through the official results of their inspection to the UNSECO office and the Lao government.
During their visit, the inspectors took a tour around the town and visited a number of important historical sites. There, they found several changes had occurred, such as a rise in the number of new buildings and the disappearance of some of the older structures.
They saw that locals had been putting up new buildings without proper planning, and some water reservoirs had been taken over by private residences.
The inspectors also expressed concern over the increase in tourism investments, using the example of the five-star hotels being built in the area, which would only diminish the town's World Heritage charm, according to Ms Manivone.
She confirmed that the UNESCO officials had visited the Deputy Governor of Luang Prabang and raised their concerns for discussion. In response, the Deputy Governor made a commitment to the visiting guests that the provincial authorities would try harder to address these concerns.
Ms Manivone expressed confidence that from now on the protection of Luang Prabang's World Heritage status would be paramount, due to the establishment last week of a national Committee on World Heritage, with Deputy Prime Minister Somsavat Lengsavad as president.
She explained that one of the main problems had been the failure of local authorities to protect the town's World Heritage status, due to poor legal enforcement.
“We have laws and regulations governing this area, which actually forbid new Western-style buildings in heritage areas, but residents don't always abide by the law,” she said.
She explained that law enforcement required cooperation from all sectors concerned, which was why high-ranking government officials were stepping in to supervise.
Ms Manivone said the provincial authorities would allocate quotas for timber to provide residents with enough wood to renovate the old buildings, instead of cement, to ensure that the buildings' original character was retained.
She said residents needed to realise that losing the town's World Heritage status would hurt the tourism industry, which in turn would affect the local economy.
By vientiane times
www.vientianetimes.org.la
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LAO Art Media will begin production of a movie called Sabaidee Luang Prabang next month for completion ahead of Pi Mai Lao (Lao New Year) in April, to promote tourism in Laos.
The movie is being written, produced and funded locally with the joint support of the Ministry of Information and Culture and the Lao National Tourism Administration.
The plot centres on a man of Lao and Australian parentage who visits his father’s former home town of Luang Prabang, where he is struck by the beautiful nature, culture and traditions.
During his travels, the young man meets and falls in love with a beautiful girl, who seems to him to embody the character and spirit representative of Lao women, which is different from those of the where country he grew up.
The lead actors in the movie will be Lao, while some members of the cast have been chosen from neighbouring countries. Most of the movie will be shot on location in Luang Prabang province.
“We want this movie to promote tourism and make foreigners aware of the culture and traditions of the world heritage city of Luang Prabang,” said the President of Lao Art Media, Mr Anonsone Sirisackda.
He said the film would first be released in Thai cinemas, before being promoted in other Asean countries if it proved successful.
Mr Anonsone added that the company also planned VCD and DVD releases of the movie for distribution in Laos and as a souvenir for visitors.
By OUNKHAM PIMMATA
Vientianetimes
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(KPL) Luang Prabang last week held a meeting on the preservation of national cultural heritage.
The meeting was presided over by Head of Information and Culture Service of Luang Prabang, Mr. Onchanh Souvannalit, with the participation of Chief of Laung Prabang district, Mr. Xayasak Keopanya, and concerned officials.
At the event Deputy Head of Information and Culture of province, Mr. Bounkhong Khouthao, reported Luang Prabang’s efforts in preserving the culture of its ethnic people made in the past one year, including the inspection of signs of shops, newspapers, entertainment places, Games shops, and museums.
The meeting also highlighted both negative and positive impacts from tourism to the locals’ culture, and publicised laws and regulations on national heritage, managing heritages, and renovating national heritage of culture and historical sites.
The text from www.klp.net
(KPL) A breaking ground ceremony for building the monument of late President Souphanouvong was held on 4 November at Ban NaviengkhamF Luang Prabang district, Luang Prabang province.
This was a part of work to pay respect and gratitude to late President Souphanouvong who sacrifice all his lives for revolutionary cause of the party and for national development.
Among the guest at the ceremony were Mr. Bounnhang Vorachit, LPRP CC Politburo member and Vice President of the Lao PDR together with a number of high ranking officials, local people and member of President Souphanounvong ‘s family.
At the ceremony, Mr. Souvandy Sisavath, Deputy Director of Party Central Committee’s Office who is also head of Khayson Phomvihane monument briefed about background of this project by saying that 8,400 meter of land has been allocated for constructing 5.40 meter of President Souphanounvong statue.
The project is expected to be completed on 13 July, 2009.
The text from www.kpl.net
(KPL) Luang Prabang, Laos; jewel in tourism, is now focussing on tourism development to support the quick increase in the number of tourist arrivals including both domestic visitors and foreign tourists.
Luang Prabang Tourism Service thus signed agreements on two cooperation projects with the Mekong Tourism Development Project and the Asian Development Bank on 29 October. The move is aimed at improving target village group, company’s group and districts in trekking development.
The two projects will support funds for tourism development through the local people participatory trekking programme on the popular Kwuangsy-Houai Khot route.
This project also focuses on strengthening cooperation among tourism business with the participation of local people. It also focuses on improving the living conditions of people in Longlao 1 village, Longlao 2, Houaipheng, Phounongkuai and Houai Khot villages.
In addition, the project is to mobilise villagers in this area to determine tourism sites, culture, and natural conservation of Kouangsy-Huaykhot areas in order to provide good experiences to visitors.
The project will create benefit to five target villages of two districts Luang Prabang and Xieng Ngeun.
Form: www.kpl.net, Thanks KPL
