The “Lo Lat” traditional market opens in Luang Prabang during Pi Mai Lao on April 14, 2026. (KPL)
Celebrations for Pi Mai Lao in Luang Prabang were marked by the return of the traditional “Lo Lat” public market on April 14, held on the 12th day of the waning moon of the fifth lunar month (B.E. 2568) after being absent for some years. The event was organised by the city administration in cooperation with provincial authorities as part of the annual New Year festivities.
Traders from Luang Prabang, neighbouring provinces, and even abroad joined local residents to showcase agricultural produce, handicrafts, handmade goods, traditional clothing, and distinctive local cuisine. Items used in New Year ceremonies were also widely available.
The “Lo Lat” market, held in the UNESCO-listed heritage city only twice a year, is a longstanding tradition associated with Pi Mai Lao and again during Boun Hor Khao Padap Din in the ninth lunar month. Another notable feature of the celebration was the sale of animals intended for ritual release, a Buddhist practice symbolising the act of freeing life during the transition known as Sangkhan, which marks the passing of the old year and the arrival of the new one.
In the same euphoria of Pi Mai Lao, vendors in major temples across Vientiane reported brisk sales of religious offerings, particularly scented water used in the hote song ritual. Devotees gently pour the fragrant mixture typically containing water, perfume, kaffir lime and flowers over Buddha statues while offering prayers for health, peace and prosperity in the year ahead.
Additionally, in a new year message, President Thongloun Sisoulith highlighted the country’s political stability and gradual economic recovery despite global challenges, while noting that Laos’ international profile had strengthened as it moves into a new phase of development.
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