Although
long gone, the sense of Royalty somehow pervades this thriving city/town of
Communist Laos. The Royals invited the French in 1887 to protect them
from thug militias from China. Royalty, Prince Souphanouvong, the
first President, led the Communist Revolution championed by the
Moscow-backed Pathet (Nationalist) Lao. (This royal role must have been a
major dilemma for the soviet Politburo in Moscow which had a proven lethal
attitude towards monarchy.) Although there are strong memories of the
Revolution's re-education camps which left so many of the 'educated and
unconvinced' either dead or brain damaged, it's possible there was no other way
the country could have shaken off its Royal feudalism and produced a near
egalitarian society.
With
the influence of China's leadership style - retaining Communism as the face of
government and Capitalism as its engine - the Lao Communist party relaxed its
hard line anti Western rhetoric and business is booming. The Lao flag
hangs everywhere with the hammer and sickle beside it, especially prominent in
every capitalist venture, like the building boom in guest houses. Almost
every private residence in the centre of LP has been or is being converted tolodging for tourists. In
so many ways this is a dream time (for us and the Lao) as it will change
dramatically when the Peoples Republic of China puts its fast railway through
to Vientianne and beyond, probably to Singapore. The Lao will find themselves
employees in their own businesses and Chinese entrepreneurs will think the
dreamy, magical qualities of LP with its tree lined streets have little
economic value and should be replaced with big hotels.
The
parade formed up outside the Royal Palace with local dignitaries, visiting
Senior (Communist) Party Members, every possible aspirational business owner,
the Palace’s Orchestra, dressed in ancient costume and carrying its conche shell trumpets, antique
drums, cymbals, rababs, wooden xylophones and semicircular braces of
gongs. Added to this were speeches in Lao and English (but not French!
Which would have put the Gallic Nose out of joint considering the Frogs once
saved the place from plundering hordes and continue to beautifully restore so
much of it). The parade was civil in purpose, but overwhelmingly
devotional in intent. It proceeded from the Palace to one of the many
premier Buddhist Temples where the gifts from all participants were deposited.
The
gifts were as fascinating as anything else: carefully packaged saffron robes
for the abbots carried in both hands by the most important dignitaries, tiered
circular towers hung with paper money, and potted banana trees festooned with banknotes. Also hundreds of school kids waving short sticks with banknotes attached like the little flag I waved at our very own brand new Queen Elizabeth when she came to visit in 1954... Oh! will these kids remember it with such poignancy?