Over 400 years ago, the Lao migrants got help from the Thai ethnic people in Muong Va commune, the Laos-bordered province of Son La, to build a tower that became a national ancient architectural relic
Son La (VNA) – Over 400years ago, the Lao migrants got help from the Thai ethnic people in Muong Va commune,the Laos-bordered province of Son La, to build a tower that became a nationalancient architectural relic of Vietnam in 1995.
Muong Va tower is deeply imbued with Theravada Buddhism brought in by the Laopeople and it is considered the most ancient work in Sop Cop district and oneof a few old architectures in the northwest.
The tower had been restored twice to its former glory. Now, lying on a 13m-highartificial hill, the tower boasts cultural and art values characterized cultureand religion of the Lao ethnic group in the northwest and Son La in particular.
Atop the tower, tourists could see a panorama of Muong Va mountain villagesurrounded by stretching mountains, immense paddy fields and dreamlike streams.
Son La shares over 200km of borderline with Laos and is now home to upper Laoethnic people, or 0.33 percent of the province’s total population, mostly inSop Cop and Song Ma districts. Muong Va commune records their largest populationwho live on cultivation and rice farming.
The northern mountainous province of Son La’s Department of Culture, Sports andTourism is considering a plan to offer tours of Muong Va tower.
Ngo Thi Hai Yen, head of the heritagemanagement office from the provincial Department of Culture, Sports andTourism, said the relic affirms solidarity between Vietnam and Laos andcultural exchange between the Lao and Thai ethnic groups in Son La. - VNA
About 9,000 hectares of rice and maize crops, fruit trees and forest in the border commune of Muong Lan, Sop Cop district, the northwestern province of Son La have been attacked by a plague of locusts
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Muong Va tower (Source: VNA) 
