Lao (Lao: ພາສາລາວ , [pʰáː.sǎː láːw] ), sometimes referred to as Laotian , is the official language of Laos and a significant language in the Isan region of northeastern Thailand, where it is usually referred to as the Isan language . Spoken by over 3 million people in Laos and 3.7 million in all countries, it serves as a vital link in the cultural and social fabric of these areas. It is written in the Lao script , an abugida that evolved from ancient Tai scripts.
20-540: Wat Xieng Thong ( Lao : ວັດຊຽງທອງ , pronounced [wāt síaŋ.tʰɔ́ːŋ] ; "Temple of the Golden City") is a Buddhist temple (vat or wat ) on the northern tip of the peninsula of Luang Prabang , Laos . Built between 1559 and 1560 by King Setthathirath , Wat Xieng Thong is one of the most important of Lao monasteries and remains a significant monument to the spirit of religion, royalty and traditional art. The name Vat Xieng Thong (Lao: ວັດຊຽງທອງ), means "Temple of
40-512: A central element of the structure, sweeping downward in an elaborate array. Along the center of the roof is the Dok So Fa, small pagodas covered in gold that hook upwards to the sky. The number of pagodas and overall detail of this floral sculpture signifies the relative importance of a Laotian temple. On one side of the sim, there are small halls and stupas that contain Buddha images of the period. There
60-482: A place for kings to be crowned, a place of worship for monks and the laity, a shrine to Buddhist relics, a celebration space of religious rites and festivals, a library for ancient scripts, and a showcasing of traditional architecture. Vat Xieng Thong is located in Luang Prabang, Laos. Luang Prabang means "the place of the Buddha," for the sacred image of Buddha from which kings would derive their divine right. The city
80-587: Is a reclining Buddha sanctuary, which contains an especially rare reclining Buddha that dates back to the construction of the temple. In 1931, the image was taken to France and displayed at the Paris Exhibition. It was kept in Vientiane until 1964, when it was returned to Luang Prabang. In the near compound's eastern gate stands the royal funerary carriage house, where it houses the funeral carriage, which stands 12 metres (39 ft) high and there are various urns for
100-535: Is between the Mekong and Nam Khan rivers, and according to UNESCO, contains some of "the most sophisticated Buddhist temples in Southeast Asia." Luang Prabang was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1995. The vat represents typical Laos art and craft. A Sim is the central shrine hall of a Laotian temple. Vat Xieng Thong's Sim is composed of nine cascading roofs and is decorated by gold stenciling. The roofs are
120-488: Is not only the official language but also a lingua franca , bridging the linguistic diversity of a population that speaks many other languages. Its cultural significance is reflected in Laotian literature, media, and traditional arts. The Vientiane dialect has emerged as the de facto standard, though no official standard has been established. Internationally, Lao is spoken among diaspora communities , especially in countries like
140-535: Is now southeastern China, specifically what is now Guangxi and northern Vietnam where the diversity of various Tai languages suggests an Urheimat . The Southwestern Tai languages began to diverge from the Northern and Central branches of the Tai languages, covered mainly by various Zhuang languages , sometime around 112 CE, but likely completed by the sixth century . Due to the influx of Han Chinese soldiers and settlers,
160-551: The Southwestern branch of Tai languages. Lao (including Isan) and Thai, although they occupy separate groups, are mutually intelligible and were pushed closer through contact and Khmer influence, but all Southwestern Tai languages are mutually intelligible to some degree. The Tai languages also include the languages of the Zhuang , which are split into the Northern and Central branches of
180-611: The 1500s. In 1928, when the French Governor General visited Luang Prabang, King Sisavangvong successfully demanded that the French share in the cost of restoration, as Laos was a French protectorate from 1893 to 1953. In the 1950s and 1960s, the funerary carriage house was built. Renovations in 2012 and 2013 involved carefully cleaning the building, repainting the gold stencils, restoring damaged tiles and doors and windows, and repainting walls. Interestingly, scholars have noted that in
200-454: The Golden City." In Lao, wat, or vat, means Buddhist temple; these buildings are central to the life of Laotian communities. Wat Xieng Thong was built under the rule of King Setthathirath between 1559 and 1560. Setthathirath oversaw the Lan Xang ("Land of a Million Elephants") kingdom, a geographical area that is now Laos. During his rule, Setthathirath moved the capital from Xieng Thong (which
220-630: The Sim is the Sanctuary of the Reclining Buddha, a small chapel decorated with mosaics and featuring a large Buddhist statue. Many other structures fill the compound and complement the Sim, including the Kouti, Ho Tai, and Hor Kong, the library, monk living space, and boat house, respectively. A number of restorations have taken place to maintain the temple, which remains in remarkable condition since its creation in
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#1732851811272240-660: The Tai languages. The Tai languages form a major division within the Kra-Dai language family , distantly related to other languages of southern China, such as the Hlai and Be languages of Hainan and the Kra and Kam-Sui languages on the Chinese Mainland and in neighbouring regions of northern Vietnam. The ancestors of the Lao people were speakers of Southwestern Tai dialects that migrated from what
260-853: The Tai migrants that followed the Mekong River . As the Southwestern Tai-speaking peoples diverged, following paths down waterways, their dialects began to diverge into the various languages today, such as the Lao-Phuthai languages that developed along the Mekong River and includes Lao and its Isan sub-variety and the Chiang Saen languages which includes the Central Thai dialect that is the basis of Standard Thai. Despite their close relationship, there were several phonological divergences that drifted
280-506: The United States, France, and Australia, reflecting its global diasporic presence. The Lao language falls within the Lao-Phuthai group of languages, including its closest relatives, Phuthai (BGN/PCGN Phouthai , RTGS Phu Thai ) and Tai Yo . Together with Northwestern Tai—which includes Shan , Ahom and most Dai languages of China, the Chiang Saen languages—which include Standard Thai, Khorat Thai, and Tai Lanna —and Southern Tai form
300-509: The end of the Chinese occupation of Vietnam, the fall of Jiaozhi and turbulence associated with the decline and fall of the Tang dynasty led some of the Tai peoples speaking Southwestern Tai to flee into Southeast Asia, with the small-scale migration mainly taking place between the eighth and twelfth centuries. The Tais split and followed the major river courses, with the ancestral Lao originating in
320-642: The entrance fee to the temple was 20,000 kip. Lao language Lao is a tonal language , where the pitch or tone of a word can alter its meaning, and is analytic , forming sentences through the combination of individual words without inflection. These features, common in Kra-Dai languages , also bear similarities to Sino-Tibetan languages like Chinese or Austroasiatic languages like Vietnamese . Lao's mutual intelligibility with Thai and Isan , fellow Southwestern Tai languages, allows for effective intercommunication among their speakers, despite differences in script and regional variations. In Laos, Lao
340-1008: The languages apart with time such as the following examples: *mlɯn 'slippery' → {\displaystyle \rightarrow } ມື່ນ muen /mɯ̄ːn/ → {\displaystyle \rightarrow } ลื่น luen /lɯ̂ːn/ {} {} ມື່ນ {} ลื่น {} {} muen {} luen *mlɯn → {\displaystyle \rightarrow } /mɯ̄ːn/ → {\displaystyle \rightarrow } /lɯ̂ːn/ 'slippery' {} {} {} {} *raːk 'to vomit' → {\displaystyle \rightarrow } ຮາກ hak /hâːk/ → {\displaystyle \rightarrow } ราก rak /râːk/ Wat Suwannaphumaham Wat Mai Suwannaphumaham often simply Wat Mai or Wat May
360-407: The members of the royal family. The interior of the Sim is similarly adorned by gold stenciling. Rich red and black walls are decorated completely with gold stencils of mythological scenes and geometric design. The ceiling displays Dharmachakras — dharma wheels symbolising Buddhist law and the circle of reincarnation. The rear gable is decorated with a glass mosaic depicting the tree of life. Behind
380-507: The mid 20th century, In 1880, the Tripiṭaka library was added and the drum tower in 1961. This temple, along with Wat Suwannaphumaham , was spared any damage during the sacking of the city in 1887. This was because the Black Flag Haw leader, Đèo Văn Trị , had studied here as a monk in his early life and used it as his headquarters during the sacking of Luang Phrabang. In January 2024,
400-560: Was later renamed Luang Prabang) to Vientiane, claiming dislike for the lack of flat land in Xieng Thong. But, Luang Prabang remained a royal capital until 1975, when the Lao People's Democratic Republic (LPDR) was established. Vat Xieng Thong was a royal temple under the patronage of the royal family (until the creation of the LPDR), created alongside Vat Keo and Vat That Luang. The vat functioned as
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