Muang Xay (, ), also referred to as Oudomxai or Oudomxay, is the capital city of Oudomxai Province, Laos.
Naming
Legend has it that in the year 1323, the inhabitants of the village Ban Luang Cheng in "Takka Sila" town were in the forest to cut bamboo. While they were making some bamboo fishing utensils, they saw a monk coming from the forest walking towards them. He had gone to the forest before to meditate. The monk asked the villagers what they were doing and they replied that they were making a fishing basket. They offered him food. Because of that experience, the villagers changed the town's name from "Takka Sila" to "Muang Xay", as the monk's name was "Paxay".
[Khana Sinam Gaan Khon Khua Hiabhiang (Provincial Government Leader Group of Research and Data Collection): "Phavatsaat Muunsya Khweeng Oudomxay" (History of Oudomxay Province), 2004, p. 19-28]
Infrastructure
The town is served by
Oudomsay Airport, about a 10 minute walk from town center.
It has a station on the Boten–Vientiane railway.
Demography
The residents of the town are mainly
Lao Loum, along with the presence of the ethnic group
Khmu people, 60% of the province's population.
[Schätzungen laut Provinzregierung]
Geography and climate
Oudomxay Province has a moderate monsoon climate. Due to its higher elevation, there are more variations in temperature during the year and a colder dry season in northern Laos than in the rest of the country.
[Leek 2007: Rural Livelihood Strategies and Natural Resources in Oudomxay, Lao PDR p.1]
Yearly precipitation is about 1,900–2,600 mm. Temperatures in February and March average between 18 and 19 °C, from April to May temperatures climb over 31 °C.[W. Roder Slash and Burn Rice Systems in the Hills of Northern Lao P.D.R.: Description, Challenges, and Opportunities. 2001]
Tourism
For some years, efforts have been made to encourage tourism in Muang Xay in order to ameliorate the region's poverty. Since 1997 there has been a tourism office in Muang Xay, supported by the German Development Service (DED) since 2005. The support of DED aims to raise the incomes of the rural population and small-scale enterprises via tourism and thereby protect natural resources.
[Deutscher Entwicklungsdienst: Jahresbericht Oudomxay 2009]
Development
Oudomxay is seen as a province in which discovering "authentic" Laos is possible, especially in terms of ecotourism. The tourism office offers guided trekking tours,
[ Trekking Tours Website des Provincial Tourism Department Oudomxay. Retrieved 15 Jan 2010.] a Lao cookery course, and a workshop on traditional paper making.
[ Activities in Town . Website des Provincial Tourism Department Oudomxay. Retrieved 15 Jan 2010.]
According to the Statistical Report on Tourism in Laos 2008 by the Lao National Tourism Administration, the number of tourists has increased from approximately 18,600 to 102,000 between 2001 and 2008. According to the statistics, approximately 17% of all 1.7 million tourists visiting Laos in 2008 came to Oudomxay. Oudomxay has eight hotels and approximately 52 guesthouses.[Lao National Tourism Administration; Planning and Cooperation Department; Statistics Unit: 2008 Statistical Report on Tourism in Laos]
Potential
, about 1,286 beds were available in Oudomxay in 2006. In 2008, their occupancy rate was approximately 60% compared to 73% in Luang Prabang.
There is a discovered Chom Ong, about 45 km from Oudomxay, the largest known cave in northern Laos. It has a length of more than 16 km, ceiling heights up to 50 m, a stream course flowing in the cave[British Cave Research Association: Speleology, 13 May 2009, p.34] and is rated "exceptional"[Michael Laumanns/Francois Brouiquisse, La nouvelle plus longe grotte du Nord Laos in Spelunca No. 113, 2009, p. 9.] and "the most significant find and the biggest highlight"
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