The handover and opening ceremonies of three submergible bridges that JIP had been constructing in Laos as a project for fiscal year 2023 took place. Although all the bridges are not so long, a large number of villagers gathered for a grand festival. In Laos, there were some difficulties, such as troublesome procedures for foreign NGOs to operate and temporary structures being washed away during the rainy season, but our efforts paid off when the villagers expressed their appreciation for our work.
On November 28, at Phon Xay Bridge, which is 26m long and 4.3m wide (the width is the same for all three bridges), both parties signed a handover document while provincial and district officials and villagers witnessed, after a three-hour drive along a mountain road from Luang Prabang, an ancient city bustling with tourists.
The next day, the 29th, we were welcomed by a full force of villagers at the 18-meter-long Pak Xeng Bridge, which is located deeper in the mountains than the Phong Xai Bridge. The river flow was high even in the dry season. Usually, cars cannot pass through the bridge for three months during the rainy season, but this year it was only for one week, and the rainfall was particularly heavy during this year’s rainy season.
December 5 is the 52-meter-long Pak Ou Bridge, which is relatively close to Luang Prabang (40 minutes from Luang Prabang). At each bridge ceremony, a unique ritual was performed, such as tying a string attached to an altar ornament around the wrist of a guest. The ceremony had nothing to do with Buddhism, and the monks were not present, which was a big difference from the ceremonies in Myanmar.
