Members of the Lao Handicraft Group and Women's Union of Tanmixay village in Xaythany district are sculpting replicas of the Lao national flower (white frangipani) and flower pots for sale during the 25th SEA Games in Vientiane this year.
Currently, the group and union have more than 60 people able to make about 300,000 flowers and more than 1,000 flower pots.
Their target is to produce 600,000 flowers and about 1 million pots, which will come in three different styles.
They are promoting these products around the country from this month until December 31. The flowers will be pinned with the SEA Games logos of That Luang and Champa and Champi.
At the Lao National Sports Committee office on Monday, the SEA Games Marketing and Benefit Committee's Vice President, Mr Chanpheng Siratana, signed an agreement with the handicraft group's representative Mr Bouala Phanthavong.
Mr Bouala said Laos is honoured to host the games and would like to promote the national flower to visitors, who will keep the flowers as souvenirs.
Making the flowers also assists in promoting Lao peoples' skills during the games. A portion of the income from the sales will support the games.
The handicraft group uses more than 1 billion kip for sculpting the flowers and pots. One flower costs 7,500 kip, while the cost of a flower pot ranges from 300,000 to 3 million kip. The flowers and pots are made of a mixture of clay and flour.
By Sangkhomsay Bubphanouvong
Vientianetimes
