VIENTIANE, April 12 (Xinhua) -- People and businesses across Laos are preparing to celebrate the traditional Lao New Year when many provinces will hold a wide range of activities.

The Lao New Year is the most important festival in the Lao calendar and also a time of endless fun for Laotians. This year's holiday for celebrations runs from April 13 to 18.

"I believe that this year will be much more fun than usual because many activities are organizing across the country and we are all getting a long holiday," Soudthida Navamminh, a 21-year-old woman living in the Lao capital Vientiane told Xinhua on Friday.

Khamkeo Baiyavanh, a 31-year-old man from northern Laos' Luang Prabang province, said that he will go back to his hometown during the holiday.

"During the Lao New Year, I will go to several temples to pray and sprinkle water over Buddha images. I also plan to have a small party with my friends and family."

The celebration of the holiday is expected to have a positive impact on the domestic economy.

Markets have made extensive preparations to cope with the extra demand over the holiday and have introduced measures to regulate the price of goods, ensuring that traders do not raise prices arbitrarily.

Saysamone, a butcher shop owner, told Xinhua that his shop is fully stocked with a wide range of products to meet the needs of shoppers.

Saysamone said that his shop is ready to provide clean and safe meat for society during the holiday.

In addition, public transportation is expected to see a travel peak during the period before and after the Lao New Year.

Station manager for the Southern Bus Station in Vientiane Souksavath Sisouk said that extra buses will be put into service to cope with the high volume of passengers over the Lao New Year holiday.

Moreover, the Laos-China Railway Co., Ltd. (LCRC) will provide extra train services from April 12 to 19 between Vientiane and the Luang Prabang province. It is anticipated that travels on this route will reach peak levels as the northern province is the most popular destination during the holiday.

Laos' Ministry of Public Security has planned to deploy more than 700 traffic police officers to over 100 intersections across Vientiane to ensure peace and order along public roads during the Lao New Year celebration in mid-April. Enditem

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