The Laotians have a variety of folk arts, including weaving, basketmaking, wood and ivory carving, and silverwork and goldwork. There are a number of Laotian musical instruments, of which the khen, a bamboo wind instrument, is most widely known. Music is not written down but is played from memory. Their main themes are drawn from the Indian epics. All professional dancers are male, the female roles being performed by young men and boys.
Laotian literature is predominantly religious and linked to the Buddhist tradition.
The popular poems and songs are often satiric. The peoples of Laos are divided by language, culture, and location. The Lao-Lum live in the lowlands, on the banks of the Mekong and its tributaries, and in the cities. They speak Laotian Tai, which is closer to the language spoken by the Thai of Thailand than it is to the language of the local Tai-speaking tribes. The Lao-Tai live throughout the country, chiefly in upland areas, and their various dialects are mutually intelligible.