The government has given permission for a Lao company to build a four-storey building to house the Lao National Museum, which will be relocated from its current site on Samsenthai Road in central Vientiane. A local construction company has undertaken to build the new museum as part of an exchange deal where it will be allowed to develop the site of the old museum. Khamphay Sana Construction Group will spend US$10 million on the new museum, which will be located in the Km 6 area near the Kaysone Phomvihane Museum in Xaythany district. An agreement on the project was signed on Tuesday between the Deputy Minister of Information, Culture and Tourism, Mr Buangeun Xaphouvong, and company President Mr Khamphay Somsana. Minister of Information, Culture and Tourism Prof. Dr Bosengkham Vongdara and other officials also attended the signing.
Mr Khamphay said work on the new museum will begin in the upcoming dry season, either in November or December, and the project is expected to take about two years. “The Party and government have given priority to building a new National Museum, which will provide a new face for our capital,” he said, revealing that the new building will be more than 80 metres long and 56 metres wide. Mr Khamphay spoke to the media after the signing ceremony, saying his company intends to build a five star hotel on the site of the existing museum.
“As we all know, there are not enough luxury hotels in Vientiane, particularly when regional or international events take place. For this reason, I want to build a hotel to satisfy the market demand,” he said. “I want to build the hotel as high as possible – at least more than 20 floors - depending on the decision of the authorities.” Mr Khamphay said construction of the hotel will start after the new National Museum is built and all the fixtures and artefacts contained in the museum have been relocated. In the meantime, the company will prepare to build the hotel, finalising the name, design and other details.
The French colonial building opposite the National Culture Hall where the National Museum is currently housed was built in 1925. The museum displays the history of Laos, and highlights the Lao people’s struggle to liberate the country from foreign occupiers and imperialist forces. Recent archaeological finds in Vientiane and other areas have further added to the richness of the cultural section. Officials said the existing building was degraded and believed it would not prove useful in the long run so they felt it was necessary to build a new one.The new museum will be built in a modern Lao style and will showcase the history of Laos so that overseas visitors can learn more about the country and its people through the exhibits on display.
Plan for the new Lao National Museum
ກະຊວງ ຖວທ ໃຊ້ງົບປະມານ 10 ລ້ານໂດລາ ສ້າງຫໍພິພິທະພັນແຫ່ງຊາດ ຫຼັງໃໝ່
ທ່ານ ສຈ.ດຣ. ບໍ່ແສງຄຳ ວົງດາລາ ລັດຖະມົນຕີວ່າການ ກະຊວງຖະແຫຼງຂ່າວ ວັດທະນະທຳ ແລະ ທ່ອງທ່ຽວ (ຖວທ) ໄດ້ເຂົ້າຮ່ວມເປັນສັກຂີພິຍານ ໃນພິທີເຊັນສັນຍາກໍ່ສ້າງຫໍພິພິທະພັນແຫ່ງຊາດ ຫຼັງໃໝ່ ລະຫວ່າງກະຊວງຖະແຫຼງຂ່າວ ວັດທະນະທຳ ແລະ ທ່ອງທ່ຽວ ກັບບໍລິສັດກຸ່ມຄຳໄພຊະນະກໍ່ສ້າງ ຈຳກັດຜູ້ດຽວ ໃນວັນທີ 18 ກັນຍາ 2012 ທີ່ຫໍວັດທະນະທຳແຫ່ງຊາດ ນະຄອນຫຼວງວຽງຈັນ ໂດຍການຮ່ວມລົງນາມລະຫວ່າງທ່ານ ບົວເງິນ ຊາພູວົງ ລັດຖະມົນຕີຊ່ວຍວ່າການ ກະຊວງ ຖວທ ແລະ ທ່ານ ຄຳໄພ ສົມຊະນະ ຫົວໜ້າບໍລິສັດດັ່ງກ່າວ.
ໂຄງການກໍ່ສ້າງຫໍພິພິທະພັນແຫ່ງຊາດ ຫຼັງໃໝ່ ທີ່ມີເອກະລັກທາງດ້ານວັດທະນະທຳຂອງຊາດ ມີໂຄງປະກອບພາຍໃນທີ່ທັນສະໄໝ ຈະເລີ່ມລົງມືກໍ່ສ້າງພາຍຫຼັງທີ່ໄດ້ເຊັນສັນຍາເປັນຕົ້ນໄປ ເນື້ອທີ່ກໍ່ສ້າງ 2 ເຮັກຕາກວ່າ ໂດຍຈະສ້າງເປັນອາຄານ 4 ຊັ້ນ ແລະ ຈະໃຫ້ສຳເລັດການກໍ່ສ້າງພາຍໃນ 24 ເດືອນ ໂດຍແມ່ນບໍລິສັດ ຄຳໄພຊະນະກໍ່ສ້າງ ຈຳກັດຜູ້ດຽວ ເປັນຜູ້ຮັບເໝົາ ລວມມູນຄ່າການກໍ່ສ້າງປະມານ 10 ລ້ານໂດລາສະຫະລັດ ຫໍພິພິທະພັນຫຼັງໃໝ່ນີ້ ແມ່ນຕັ້ງຢູ່ເຂດດິນຫຼັກ 6 ຂ້າງຫໍພິພິທະພັນ ໄກສອນ ພົມວິຫານ.
ທ່ານ ຂັນທອງ ມະໂນທຳ ຫົວໜ້າຫ້ອງການ ກະຊວງ ຖວທ ແຈ້ງໃຫ້ຮູ້ວ່າ: ປັດຈຸບັນ ອາຄານຫໍພິພິທະພັນແຫ່ງຊາດ ຫຼັງເກົ່າ ແມ່ນມີອາຍຸເກືອບ 1 ສະຕະວັດ ອາຄານດັ່ງກ່າວມີລັກສະນະຊຸດໂຊມຫຼາຍ ເຖິງວ່າໄລຍະຜ່ານມາ ພັກ-ລັດຖະບານໄດ້ສຸມທຶນຮອນເພື່ອບູລະນະມາແລ້ວກໍຕາມ ແລະ ເພື່ອເປັນການປົກປັກຮັກສາເອກະລັກວັດທະນະທຳຂອງຊາດລາວໄວ້ໃຫ້ຍາວນານນັ້ນ ມີຄວາມຈຳເປັນທີ່ຈະຕ້ອງມີຫໍພິພິທະພັນຫຼັງໃໝ່ ເພື່ອວາງສະແດງວັດຖຸພັນ ໂຄສະນາໃຫ້ແຂກຄົນພາຍໃນ ແລະ ຕ່າງປະເທດ ໄດ້ຮັບຮູ້ເຖິງປະຫວັດສາດຄວາມເປັນມາຂອງປະເທດເຮົາ ໃນແຕ່ລະຍຸກ ແຕ່ລະສະໄໝ.
Sources: Vientiane Times, Vientiane Mai