Laos hotel school unearths city walls
Hospitality teachers and students in Laos made an unusual discovery recently, when they unearthed a section of the old Vientiane city wall.
The find was made on 8 September, when the Lao National Institute of Tourism and Hospitality (Lanith) conducted a survey of its proposed new campus in the Lao capital. The campus site, on the Mekong riverfront, sits on the southwest section of the Vientiane city wall, which was built in the 14th and 15th Centuries.
Lanith partnered with the Lao Ministry of Information, Culture & Tourism, museum archaeologists and a professional team of surveyors to conduct the dig.
“This survey is a true public-private sector partnership as well as a contribution to Laos’ cultural heritage,” said Peter Semone, Lanith’s Chief Technical Advisor.
With help from students, the team also uncovered a range of 17th and 18th Century Chinese porcelain, which was handed over to the Lao National Museum.
“Lanith will definitely place cultural heritage before development. If the dig’s results are consistent with the archaeologists’ predictions, Lanith will be able to incorporate the Vientiane wall and bastion into a culturally-sensitive design for the campus.”
The first phase of the survey should be completed by the end of September.