Salavan (city)
Encyclopedia
The city of Salavan is the capital of the Salavan Province in southern Laos
. Located 125km away, from Pakse on a partially paved road, it is located in one of the most isolated parts of Laos.
are located around Salavang.
, lowland Lao who form the majority of the population of both the city and country, as well as hilltribe and former colonial French cultures. Salavan is starting to become a popular backpacking destination for tourists in Indochina
and has a "frontier town" like feel because of the scarce amount of settlements outside the city. Salavan is known for its version of Lao dance, which has spread to throughout the entire nation. The Lao language
is the most spoken language in the city, although pockets of Hmong
may be found. French
is also spoken a minority, a legacy of the French colonial rule.
Laos
Laos Lao: ສາທາລະນະລັດ ປະຊາທິປະໄຕ ປະຊາຊົນລາວ Sathalanalat Paxathipatai Paxaxon Lao, officially the Lao People's Democratic Republic, is a landlocked country in Southeast Asia, bordered by Burma and China to the northwest, Vietnam to the east, Cambodia to the south and Thailand to the west...
. Located 125km away, from Pakse on a partially paved road, it is located in one of the most isolated parts of Laos.
Geography
Salavan is located in the southernmost area of Laos, one of the most isolated regions of the country. The city is located in a dense jungle area that has seen little development outside the city. Dozens of minority villages of various tribes such as HmongHmong people
The Hmong , are an Asian ethnic group from the mountainous regions of China, Vietnam, Laos, and Thailand. Hmong are also one of the sub-groups of the Miao ethnicity in southern China...
are located around Salavang.
Culture
Salavan's local culture is influenced by the Lao LoumLao Loum
The Lao Loum is an official Laos PDR designation for lowland dwelling Tai peoples, including the majority Lao people. The Lao Loum, literally meaning "lowland Lao," are the inhabitants of the river valleys and lowlands along the Mekong River and make up over 68% of the population of Laos, of...
, lowland Lao who form the majority of the population of both the city and country, as well as hilltribe and former colonial French cultures. Salavan is starting to become a popular backpacking destination for tourists in Indochina
Indochina
The Indochinese peninsula, is a region in Southeast Asia. It lies roughly southwest of China, and east of India. The name has its origins in the French, Indochine, as a combination of the names of "China" and "India", and was adopted when French colonizers in Vietnam began expanding their territory...
and has a "frontier town" like feel because of the scarce amount of settlements outside the city. Salavan is known for its version of Lao dance, which has spread to throughout the entire nation. The Lao language
Lao language
Lao or Laotian is a tonal language of the Tai–Kadai language family. It is the official language of Laos, and also spoken in the northeast of Thailand, where it is usually referred to as the Isan language. Being the primary language of the Lao people, Lao is also an important second language for...
is the most spoken language in the city, although pockets of Hmong
Hmong language
Hmong or Mong is the common name for a dialect continuum of the West Hmongic branch of the Hmong–Mien/Miao–Yao language family spoken by the Hmong people of Sichuan, Yunnan, Guizhou, Guangxi, northern Vietnam, Thailand, and Laos...
may be found. French
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
is also spoken a minority, a legacy of the French colonial rule.