- Title: UNKNOWN: ROCKET FESTIVAL
- Date: 15th May 1976
- Summary: 1. GV SITE OF THIS YEAR'S FESTIVAL 3 ft 2. SV WOMEN DANCING AND SINGING BEFORE ROCKET LAUNCHING 6 ft 3. GV SPECTATORS, INCLUDING EUROPEANS, WATCHING ROCKET FESTIVAL. 7 ft 4. GV NEW DANCING AND SINGING 10 ft 5. GV ROCKETS READY FOR LAUNCHING 12 ft 6. GV PEOPLE FATHERED AROUND BAKECO LAUNCHING RAMP 14 ft 7. GV ROCKET BEING LAUNCHED AND EXPLODING IN SKY (2 SHOTS) 19 ft 8. GV OFFICIALS PREPARING FOR LAUNCHING OR ROCKET 22 ft 9. GV SOLDIERS WATCHING CHILDREN GATHERED AROUND LAUNCHING PLATFORM. 23 ft 10. GV ROCKET FIZZLING OFF LATCHING PLATFORM 26 ft 11. GV CHILDREN GATHERED AROUND ROCKET READY FOR LAUNCHING 27 ft 12. CU ROCKET BEING LAUNCHED AND CRASHING INTO GROUND, CHASED BY CHILDREN (2 SHOTS) 35 ft 13. GV SOLDIERS AND CROWD ???KING AWAY FROM ROCKET LAUNCHING SITE (2 SHOTS) 43 ft Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
- Embargoed: 30th May 1976 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: VIENTIANE, LAOS
- Country: Laos
- Reuters ID: LVAD79HB8131CLI1VRWT9H6CVVHL
- Story Text: Despite the recent change in government in Leos many old customs and traditions still exist.
One of these is the annual Rocket Festival. Large crowds turned out to see this year's celebration in the capital, Vientiane.
Before the rocket are launched the laotians sing and dance in praise of the rain ???ods. The rockets are fired in order to "put holes in the sky" and provide rain for the forthcoming year's harvest.
The firing of the rackets marks the beginning of the rainy seasons, the time of ploughing and planting or rice crops.
Before the festival began there were rumours in Vientiane that the government would ban this year's celebration. But the government troops merely looked on and made no move to interfere.
Not all the rockets fired exploded in splendour. But those that did fail to come up to scratch were eagerly sought as souvenirs by the children attending the festival.
Several of the rockets did not even set off the launching site, and some of these that did hurtle into the air appeared to make a bigger hole in the ground than they did in the sky.
Although many of the rockets failed to provided the fireworks expected the crowd that attended this year's festival in Vientiane appeared to appreciate the celebration as a link with their traditional, colourful east.
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