Retail booths booked ahead of That Luang Festival
Retail booths booked ahead of That Luang Festival
Most of the booths that will be rented for the sale of both local and imported products at the upcoming That Luang Festival have been reserved after a local company owned by Mr Khamseng Soundala opened bookings a few days ago.
The festival will run for seven days, from October 31 to November 6, in Xaysettha district, Vientiane.
“About 360 booths have been booked by local vendors, producers from Vientiane and the provinces, various organisations, representatives of imported products, or companies,” Mr Khamseng said yesterday after winning the concession for the festival site at the That Luang esplanade.
“The concession cost more than 1 billion kip, which he paid to the Vientiane administration office. That's about 10 percent up on the price at last year's festival,” he said.
The 360 booths include about 160 or 170 for the display of locally made goods, including ‘One District, One Product (ODOP)' items. The remaining more than 200 stalls are for rent for the sale of other products, including imported goods.
Mr Khamseng, who is a member of the event organising committee, said each booth cost 3.5 million kip to rent. The price was set four years ago.
“However, there are plans to promote local produce by allowing ODOP vendors to set up exhibition booths free-of-charge during the festival,” he said.
“The remaining booths for locally made products, including industrial goods, are on offer at a 30 percent reduction on the original price.”
Hundreds of food stalls will also line the streets on the outskirts of the That Luang esplanade, offering something simple to a full meal with dining tables set up for customers. The most popular items among festival goers are khao laam (sticky rice cooked in bamboo) and ping kai (grilled chicken on a stick.)
Pha That Luang is the national symbol and most important religious monument of Laos. Vientiane's most important Theravada Buddhist festival, Boun That Luang , is held here during the full moon of the twelfth lunar month (November).
Pha That Luang, meaning ‘Great Stupa', is a gold-covered large Buddhist stupa in the centre of Vientiane. It is generally regarded as the most important national monument in Laos.
vientiane times
