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Our Story

THE STORY OF THAO SITHON AND NANG MANOLA IS ONE OF THE MOST BELOVED LAO FOLKTALES, CEL- EBRATED FOR ITS THEMES OF LOVE, LOYALTY, AND PERSEVERANCE. HERE'S A BRIEF RETELLING OF THE TALE:
- THAO SITHON WAS A YOUNG PRINCE OF LAOS WHO LEARNED ABOUT THE ENCHANTING NANG MANOLA, A CELESTIAL BEING, FROM A PALACE GUARD. STRUCK BY HER BEAUTY AND GRACE, HE SOUGHT HER OUT AND FELL DEEPLY IN LOVE. OVER- COMING GREAT CHALLENGES, THE TWO WERE UNITED IN MARRIAGE, CREATING A BOND THAT WAS PURE AND UNBREAKABLE.
- HOWEVER, THEIR HAPPINESS WAS SHORT-LIVED. THAO SITHON WAS CALLED TO WAR, AND THE COUPLE HAD TO PART. DURING HIS ABSENCE, NANG MANOLA FACED NUMEROUS TRIALS, INCLUD- ING JEALOUSY AND TREACHERY FROM THOSE WHO ENVIED HER BEAUTY AND THEIR LOVE. SHE WAS EVENTUALLY CAST OUT AND LEFT TO ENDURE HER OWN JOURNEY.
- DESPITE THE SEPARATION AND SUFFERING, THAO SITHON AND NANG MANOLA REMAINED STEAD- FAST IN THEIR LOVE. BOTH UNDERTOOK PERILOUS ADVENTURES, ENCOUNTERING MYSTICAL BEINGS AND OVERCOMING CHALLENGES IN THEIR QUEST TO REUNITE. THE FOLKTALE HIGHLIGHTS THE EN- DURING POWER OF LOVE AND THE SACRIFICES ONE MAKES FOR IT.
- THIS STORY IS OFTEN TOLD IN LAO LITERATURE, DANCE, AND ORAL TRADITIONS, SYMBOLIZING THE DEEP CULTURAL VALUES OF FIDELITY AND DEVO- TION.