Attapeu


Attapeu, also written as Attopu or Attapu, officially, Muang Samakhi Xay, is a town in southern Laos, serving as the capital of Attapeu province. It is the southernmost of the capitals of provinces in Laos, about by Route 11 south of Sekong.
The town is served by Attapeu International Airport, which is about from Attapeu. The temple of Wat Luang Muang Mai was built in 1939.

History

François Jules Harmand visited Attapeu in 1877 and reported about the extremely unhealthy conditions in the town, which was one of the worst affected areas in the country with malaria. Another French visitor to the town during this period was Rheinart d'Arfeuille, an explorer of the Mekong.
At the start of the French occupation of Laos, slavery was still prevalent in Attapeu. According to Ian G. Baird, the "most important dignitaries in Attapeu possessed the most enslaved people".

Geography and climate

Attapeu is situated in far southern Laos on the Xekong River, about south of Sekong, along Route 11. Xayden is by road to the southeast, approaching the border with Vietnam. The Tat Sae Pha falls, of about are roughly from Attapeu.

Economy

The Lao government awarded the Vietnamese company Quang Minh the first contract for rubber plantations in Attapeu province, and rubber processing took off in the late 2000s. The town of Attapeu is a centre for rubber processing, with a plant in the town processing over 10,000 tons per year, from rubber plantations in the area covering over 7000 hectares.

Landmarks

The temple of Wat Luang Muang Mai in the town centre was built in 1939 and is notable for original naga barge boards. Attapeu Provincial Museum, situated on Samakhy Road contains rice husking machinery, weapons, models of tribal houses and photos of notables from the area.
As of 2010, the town had one branch of the Lao Development Bank in the town centre. There is a Vietnamese run restaurant, Thi Thi. The Dethphachanh Hotel opened in September 2022, a two-storey hotel with 34 rooms.

Transport

connects the town to the Vietnamese border in the southeast, where the road joins the QL40 road in Vietnam.
Attapeu International Airport is about from Attapeu. The airport opened in May 2015 but did not receive flights until April 2016, when Lao Airlines introduced flights from Vientiane via Pakse. The airline withdrew from the market in October 2016 due to low demand. TTR Weekly attributed the airport's condition to the lack of nearby tourist attractions, even though commercial activity has risen due to Attapeu's proximity to Vietnam.