Illicit Ivory Trade Through Laos Thrives Despite China Ban

LUANG PRABANG, Laos — Strolling through streets lined with faded colonial houses and ornate Buddhist temples, Chinese tourists wondering what to bring home from any of the myriad handicraft shops often receive the same answer: ivory.

At the start of this year, China, formerly the world’s leading destination for ivory, completely outlawed its domestic market. Trade in the country is down, but ivory is regularly smuggled into China from Laos, where the illicit industry continues unabated.

Sixth Tone visited Luang Prabang, a Laotian UNESCO World Heritage-listed town along the Mekong River that attracts many visitors with its well-preserved architecture, and where many ivory traders have opened outlets. Posing as a prospective customer, Sixth Tone found that, for the mostly Chinese shop owners in Luang Prabang, the ivory ban back home has done wonders for business. (Sellers’ names have been changed or omitted because they did not speak on the record.)

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