Laos, Mekong River - Mother of Water

The Mekong is one of the longest river in the world. From the Tibetan Plateau, the Mekong flows through parts of China before entering Myanmar, Laos, Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam. Finally, ending in the South China Sea in southern Vietnam, the entire distance of the Mekong spans more than 4,300km.

In Laos, the Mekong traverse the entire country. The importance of this mighty river in the lives of the people residing in the countries it flows through cannot be overstated. Many local communities depended on the Mekong in their daily lives in areas as diverse as transportation, fishing and agriculture. 

While visiting Luang Prabang province of Laos, I had the chance to see the Mekong almost every day of my nearly week-long stay in the country. The photograph here was amongst the many that I took of the river and the activities around and in the river by the local residents. The boats shown in this photograph are used primarily for fishing and to a lesser degree, transportation. Both of which are important economic activities to the community. 

Boats moored along the Mekong River, Luang Prabang, Laos (2017)