Local people believe the vine has been in existence for almost 200 years and its fame has spread due to its unusual size. People pick the leaves to use in bamboo soup and other dishes.

Head of Office at the Information, Culture and Tourism Department in Xaysettha district, Khamkhien Boudsomsy, told Vientiane Times on Wednesday that the vine had been known about for many years but had only become a tourist attraction since 2005.

Now many Lao people and foreign visitors are curious about the vine with no fewer than five people a day turning up to look at it. Sometimes tour buses stop by as well.

It is the biggest ya nang (Tiliacora Triandra) vine in Xaysettha district and is entwined in a 20 metre high tamarind tree. Its woody stem is the thickness of an adult’s arm.

Locals cut the bark of the vine to boil in water for children to wash in as it is thought to cure some skin diseases.

Khamkhien said that normally this particular vine is small, but the specimen in Phonxay village is unusually large. Some people believe the vine is almost 200 years old and it is considered to be truly amazing.

Now the authorities are taking steps to preserve the vine and encourage more people to come and see it.

They have plans to entice the crowds by building a restaurant, hotel and other tourist facilities nearby.

Head of the province’s Information, Culture and Tourism Department, Ms Bounnan Bounnaseng, said they have other plans to attract tourists as Attapeu is also home to the King Saysetthathirat stupa, the Sakhae temple, the Ongseng Buddha, and other places of cultural interest.

Ms Bounnan said that in 2015 over 50,000 tourists visited Attapeu, with most being Lao nationals. This year the province is expecting more tourists due to improved infrastructure and better advertising of local attractions.