Lao culture - unforgettable impressions
In my opinion, all Lao friends are artists, which is first and foremost shown in their friendliness and harmony which is easily seen. Every time we meet together, they are very happy and innocently join in singing and dancing.
I first came to Laos in February 1988 when I attended a three-week professional training course organized by the World Bank. Before that, I only knew about the Land of a Million Elephants through ancient legends, through stories about a resilient people fighting to protect the country,... And when I arrived in this country, I was truly impressed by a beautiful country, a culture rich in identity and friendly Lao friends. The three-week course was not long, but I considered it a chance for me to have the opportunity to experience it for a long time in the future. Then, more than 10 years later, when "standing shoulder to shoulder" with Lao friends to build and develop the Lao-Vietnamese Joint Venture Bank, the feeling of those previous impressions became even deeper.
On such occasions, the Lam Vong dance is indispensable. It can be said that the Lam Vong is both a symbol of Lao culture and a way of communication and expression of love.
The Lam Vong dance is very effective. Not as simple as it appears, the Lam Vong dance is actually difficult because the dances are very diverse and sophisticated; the dance speed is often slow but there are many complex movements, especially the hand movements. But above all, it seems that the Lam Vong has an irresistible power and a very strong attraction, just watching the Lao people dance for a few minutes will attract you and then join in the dance. That is why some people say that the Lam Vong dance has the power to erase distances, connecting strangers to become closer and more intimate with each other.
I remember that Vietnamese officials who came to work at the Lao-Vietnam Joint Venture Bank all went through basic training courses, including lamvong dancing. And almost everyone had a common feeling of being closer and more attached to their Lao friends after each lamvong dance. And from then on, the usual shyness also disappeared, giving way to intimacy. Also because of that special feature, many BIDV officials after a period of working in Laos also became "artistic trees" in BIDV's mass cultural movement.
Besides Lam Vong dance, when coming to Laos, I was also impressed by the very unique architectural works: those are the pagodas. Laos is a country of pagodas and towers with many pagodas, just counting the capital Vientiane - a city with a small area but has more than 600 large and small pagodas with unique beauty. And these unique features have been adopted by the Lao - Vietnam Joint Venture Bank to build a beautiful headquarters. Those who have had the opportunity to visit the headquarters of the Lao - Vietnam Joint Venture Bank on Lane Xang Avenue of the capital Vientiane all admit that it is a beautiful and impressive architectural work with curved roofs and delicate, beautiful sculptures. Accumulating the quintessence of Lao architectural culture, the headquarters building of the Lao - Vietnam Joint Venture Bank is not only worthy of the position of a bank but can be considered a cultural symbol of the Vietnam - Laos friendship.
And another cultural feature of Lao friends also left a deep impression on me: they are gentle and friendly friends. Under the profound influence of Buddhist culture, Lao friends are always gentle in communication, never cause arguments, always respect elders,... In addition, many Lao friends have studied and lived in Vietnam, so they understand Vietnamese culture and love Vietnamese people very well. Along with that is the tradition of peaceful cooperation between the two countries that has been cultivated through many generations,... Those are very important characteristics that contribute to the success of joint venture cooperation. The personality of Lao friends has complemented the quickness, enthusiasm,... of BIDV staff to create great efficiency in work. I still remember, there were BIDV staff who were very hesitant when they first came to Laos because they were afraid of not being able to integrate. But it was the friendliness and hospitality of the Lao people that won them over, leaving them with many unforgettable memories, and when their three-year working term in Laos ended, they were reluctant to return...
On a macro level, culture is the strength of a nation. On a business scale, culture is also a factor that brings success. The combination of the good things between the cultures of the two countries, the cultures of BIDV and BCEL banks has created a great strength for the Lao-Vietnam Joint Venture Bank. From that resource, the Lao-Vietnam Joint Venture Bank has made efforts to overcome difficulties to stand firm and develop more and more, worthy of becoming a symbol of the comprehensive friendship and cooperation relationship, especially between Vietnam and Laos.
[*] Article from 2009.