Na Luong tourism village

According to the locals, “Luong” in Laos language means ‘dragon’ and “Na” means ‘field’. Legend has it that the rich land with flat terrain surrounded by green mountains and the gentle Nam Mu River is very favorable for rice and corn crops. Because of the dreaming landscape and the kind-hearted people, dragons often come down to bath in the river then rests on the fields.

There are 94 households with over 400 members in Na Luong. They are all Laos people. Their traditional culture is still well-preserved and developed, the cultural traditions seem to be unchanged. Coming here, tourists will see the classical beauty of the four-roof architectural stilt houses, enjoy the fresh air and the peaceful atmosphere of the forest, and talk to the kind-hearted local people. Viewing from the high mountain, Na Luong is hidden in the immense green forest and cloud, among the bewitching golden terraces fields. You will hear the birds whistling happy melodies at dawn, and in the sunset, you will see the homey and bustling atmosphere in the wooden houses in this mountainous area.

Until now, the lives of local people are largely self-sufficient. The main dishes are prepared from home-grown foods: wild vegetables, grilled stream fishes, rice in bamboo cane (“com lam”). Even though it is just 10 km from the town, people in Na Luong plant vegetables for themselves and to contribute to develop community tourism. The Laos men are good at carpentry, knitting and fishing, while the womenfolk are good at planting cotton tree, raising silk worms and weaving. The women here often spend time embroiling, sewing and decorating patterns on their costumes. Every detail in the pattern mark their hard work, patience and the love of nature, as well as the dream of a beautiful life for the local people.

To preserve the folk songs and dances, especially “múa xòe” and “lăm vông”, ever since a decade, the local people have established a team of 20 singers, performing to bring the happiness and encourage people, to pray for good weather and to build the cultural life in the villages.

The dress dance, drum dance with traditional musical instruments such as: drums, gongs, pan-pipes, flutes are always organized, especially in “Bun Vốc Năm” Festival (water festival). To have a healthy set of black teeth, after waking up in the morning and before going to bed in the evening, the Laos women often use the powder of “mày tỉu” tree (a product from the forest) to rub and wash their teeth. Besides, the women still maintain the custom of chewing betel.

Another attractive point of Na Luong is the amazing bustling atmosphere in spring. The young men and women are excited to find their life partner by choosing the good day to “pull wife” or choosing good time to “knock the floor”. If the woman agrees, the man’s family will talk to her family and the young man will propose to the girl. Otherwise, they remain friends, so their lives here are always happy.

Charlie – a tourist from the UK says: “I enjoy discovering this place because of the variety and the preservation of Laos culture. Besides, I also like the accessories, clothes, hats, shawls of the local people… However, I hope this community will receive more investments to be developed and expanded for tourists to discover…”

Mr. Lò Văn Điếng, community leader of Na Luong says: “There are approximately 200 tourists visiting our village every month. To protect the traditional beauty and to make them feel comfortable, we often clean the village on each Saturday. Besides, we often take the families going out and learn the experience from other tourist places, such as Sa Pa, Son La, Hoa Binh. To date, five households have successfully applied tourism business models to serve the needs of tourists. The tourists have made our lives better”

                                                        Author: Hoang Van Trong