Supporting Lao Tourism: Introducing Huaphan Province, Northern Laos ～Interview by Chief Representative Miyako Kobayashi EPISODE 3～

The Government of Laos designated 2024 as Visit Laos Year to promote tourism with the theme "Paradise of Culture, Nature and History."

In this episode, we would like to introduce Huaphan Province. Located in northern Laos, Huaphan is an important historical and economic center in the Lao People’s Democratic Republic.

Up until now, to travel to Huaphan Province people had to get access from neighboring provinces such as Xieng Khuang, which took seven hours on partly unpaved roads. However, with the opening of Nong Khang International Airport in May last year, it is now possible to travel by air about 1 hour from the capital. The Japan-Laos Friendship Sakura Park (Sakura Park) and the network of caves that served as the Headquarters for the Lao People's Revolutionary Party in the 1960s and where approximately 23,000 people lived for nine years are now attracting attention to Huaphan as a new tourist destination.

To learn more, we interviewed Vice Governor Mr. Peuth MAPANGNA. We also spoke to Ms. Yuki Nakamura, Head of the Secretariat of the NPO Asian Development with the Disabled Persons (ADDP). ADDP is currently implementing a project under the JICA Grassroots Cooperation Project.

Miyako CR: There are many wonderful tourist spots in Viengxay District, including caves. This year is Visit Laos Year; so I hope many Japanese people will visit Laos.

Vice Governor Mapangna: Huaphan Province has various attractions such as nature, culture, and history. There is a hot spring located approximately 20 km from Sam Neua city. In addition to enjoying a hot spring bath, you can also eat boiled eggs and bamboo shoots. You can experience nature such as waterfalls. In terms of culture, there are nine ethnic groups in Huaphan Province, so you can enjoy each ethnic group's unique culture, such as handicrafts, weaving, and knitting. Also, from a historical perspective, there is a cave network where Lao revolutionary leaders lived in the 1960s. You can learn more about the situation in Laos at that time. As you can see, Huaphan Province has many attractions, so please come and visit us at least once while in Laos.

Miyako CR: I am so very happy to be able to visit Sakura Park, a symbol of the friendship between Japan and Laos, here in Huaphan province.

ADDP Head of the Secretariat Ms. Yuki NAKAMURA, (Nakamura-san): Thank you for visiting Sakura Park. This Sakura Park has been planted with the cooperation of ADDP, the Kawasaki-Laos Friendship Association, the International Environmental Creation Association with the people and authorities concerned in Huaphan Province. In 2014, based on the request of Huaphan Province, trees were planted to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Japan and Laos. The garden was created to commemorate the occasion. Currently, there are six different varieties of Sakura to a total of about 200 trees. Among these species, Ryukyu Kanhi sakura from Okinawa are particularly thriving.

For the past decade or so since 2014, Mr. Okuda, a Landscape Architect who runs a landscaping business in Kyoto, has offered his expertise by offering technical instructions on how to grow sakura and in park management to the Sakura Park team. The Lao team includes civil servants who manage Sakura Park, employees of ADDP and the staff and students from Agricultural Departments at vocational training schools who contribute throughout the year.

Miyako CR: Sakura Park has been operating with the cooperation of many people in Japan and Laos. As a matter of fact, I have been really looking forward to visiting Minnano Cafe in Sakura Park.

Nakamura-san: Currently, ADDP operates three “Minnano Cafe” stores in Laos, two in Vientiane and one in Huaphan Province. All stores are inclusive cafes where staff members with and without disabilities work together. This Huaphan store has hearing impaired management together with employees and trainees with intellectual disabilities, those folks with physical incapacities and the able-bodied, all working together. In addition to working at the cafe, they also work to help maintain Sakura Park.

Miyako CR: The Huaphan cafe sounds similar to the popular “Minnano Cafe” with two branches in Vientiane staffed by Lao people with disabilities actively working there. The menu can be selected using a photo card. We know ADDP has been entrusted with a JICA Partnership Program (JPP) project to promote inclusive education(*1). It promotes the employment of people with disabilities by establishing a resource center that serves as a consultation center for matters related to people with disabilities

Previously, when I was in charge of establishing a project with the Asia Pacific Center for Persons with Disabilities (APCD) in Thailand, Principal Spontham, who was also a wheelchair basketball player at a vocational school, asked me “what could we do?”instead of “what could JICA do for us?” I feel that “Minnano Cafe”has a similar policy, in which people with disabilities mainly take responsibility in enhancing activities.

Nakamura-san: I miss Principal Spontham so much. When we promoted wheelchair basketball, a Thai wheelchair basketball team including Mr. Spontham came to Laos. “Minnano Cafe”is a place that we created with the hope of spreading diversity and inclusion to Lao society, through various networks and where people with disabilities support each other.

Miyako CR: In March 2025, JICA Overseas Cooperation Volunteers is expected to dispatcｈ a coach for women's wheelchair basketball. JICA is also working on diversity and inclusiveness, and I hope Huaphan can share concrete initiatives together.

Nakamura-san: When you visit Laos, we hope that you will not only visit Vientiane, but also Huaphan Province, as a 3-star hotel is currently under construction near Sakura Park. The cherry blossom season usually runs from late November to January. This year, approximately 20,000 people visited Sakura Park including Domestic tourists from other parts of Laos and visitors from neighboring countries such as Vietnam and Thailand, and from the region andbeyond. Please come and visit again, especially during the cherry blossom season.

Miyako CR: Yes, next time I will visit during the cherry blossoms season.

*1: ADDP is currently entrusted with the JICA Grassroots Technical Cooperation Project entitled: “SNE Teacher Training Program for Children with Intellectual Disabilities and Developmental Disabilities to Advance Inclusive Education.”