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The Lovely Luang Prabang
Luang Prabang is a city you can fall in love with. Like all of the former French Indochina -- Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos -- the city of Luang Prabang is full of colonial romance. Laos became a French colony in 1887 when it accepted protection from the French on the heels of an attack by the Chinese Haw. In 1945 (or 1954 according to French history), Laos was again an independent nation, but not without a rich French heritage intermixed with its own.
In 1995, UNESCO declared the entire city a World Heritage Site, stating that Luang Prabang is, "the best preserved city in SE Asia." And it is. Until recently, the city was isolated due to poor roads. An American ex-pat living there told us that up until 5 years ago or so, the only way in or out was by plane or boat (on the Mekong River -- many tourists arrive in Luang Prabang this way). Unfortunately this isolation made the entire Luang Prabang Province poor for lack of trade, but on the positive side, it left an attractive city full of charm and antiquity and now, with the protection that comes with World Heritage status, Luang Prabang has become one of SE Asia's gems. Prosperity has followed, but a visit to Luang Prabang is still remarkably affordable (in fact, it's cheap, but using the word 'cheap' is sort of insulting for such a handsome place).
A walk through town reveals quiet lanes that lead to chocolate-colored rivers and French provincial architecture: shuddered doors and windows, pitched and tiled roofs, warm pastel colors with the occasional spark of blue and dash of green, balconies and picket fences. Villas and shop houses made of brick and stucco mix well with traditional Laos structures of wood and tin, bamboo lattice and natural mortar. The two styles, French and Laotian, are surprisingly harmonious.
Luang Prabang sits within the embrace of mountains and two rivers: the Mekong and the Nam Khan. There are 66 historic temples, of which there are 32 still operating -- there is always a splash of ochre and rusty red on the streets: there are Buddhist monks everywhere. At night there is a vibrant market full of hand made treasures: woven and embroidered silk scarves, decorative quilts, handbags and clothing, metal jewelry, and antiques. There are cafes and bakeries and spas, shops, river walks, and quiet neighborhoods where children play in the street and people chat with their neighbors. The streets are lined with trees and bouganvalia. There are farms on the banks of the rivers with cultivated plots that cascade down hills like a layered cake. In the center of town is a 100-meter mound of earth called Phousi Hill. On top, a 24-meter tall golden stupa shines like a beacon in the sunlight. There is also a war relic up there on Phousi, which is so common throughout Laos... we saw a number of monasteries using old bomb shells from the war days (1960s, 70s) as flower planters. On Phousi, though, there is an old Russian anti-aircraft cannon. I read that children use it as a makeshift merry-go-round.
We spent our days strolling through town; it's a pleasant place for walking. We visited monasteries and the royal palace, which is now a museum. It's unlike other palaces we've seen on this trip. Other palaces are huge and ornate and absurdly embellished. This palace was rather small and modest... almost simple, but still it was tasteful and regal -- like Luang Prabang itself. The locals believe the palace is haunted by the spirits of the royal family. They were exiled from Luang Prabang when the Pathet Laos took over in 1975. Many believed they were sent to a re-education camp, as happens when communists take over countries. But in truth, they were locked up in a cave in northeastern Laos and died between the years of 1978 and 1981 for lack of food and medical care.
Some days we did nothing at all, even though there are caves to explore and an impressive waterfall a short drive away. But Luang Prabang is the kind of city where one can linger over a lemon shake at an outdoor cafe and watch the world go by. It goes by without hurry, though, and so we found ourselves there for much longer than planned.
In 1995, UNESCO declared the entire city a World Heritage Site, stating that Luang Prabang is, "the best preserved city in SE Asia." And it is. Until recently, the city was isolated due to poor roads. An American ex-pat living there told us that up until 5 years ago or so, the only way in or out was by plane or boat (on the Mekong River -- many tourists arrive in Luang Prabang this way). Unfortunately this isolation made the entire Luang Prabang Province poor for lack of trade, but on the positive side, it left an attractive city full of charm and antiquity and now, with the protection that comes with World Heritage status, Luang Prabang has become one of SE Asia's gems. Prosperity has followed, but a visit to Luang Prabang is still remarkably affordable (in fact, it's cheap, but using the word 'cheap' is sort of insulting for such a handsome place).
A walk through town reveals quiet lanes that lead to chocolate-colored rivers and French provincial architecture: shuddered doors and windows, pitched and tiled roofs, warm pastel colors with the occasional spark of blue and dash of green, balconies and picket fences. Villas and shop houses made of brick and stucco mix well with traditional Laos structures of wood and tin, bamboo lattice and natural mortar. The two styles, French and Laotian, are surprisingly harmonious.
Luang Prabang sits within the embrace of mountains and two rivers: the Mekong and the Nam Khan. There are 66 historic temples, of which there are 32 still operating -- there is always a splash of ochre and rusty red on the streets: there are Buddhist monks everywhere. At night there is a vibrant market full of hand made treasures: woven and embroidered silk scarves, decorative quilts, handbags and clothing, metal jewelry, and antiques. There are cafes and bakeries and spas, shops, river walks, and quiet neighborhoods where children play in the street and people chat with their neighbors. The streets are lined with trees and bouganvalia. There are farms on the banks of the rivers with cultivated plots that cascade down hills like a layered cake. In the center of town is a 100-meter mound of earth called Phousi Hill. On top, a 24-meter tall golden stupa shines like a beacon in the sunlight. There is also a war relic up there on Phousi, which is so common throughout Laos... we saw a number of monasteries using old bomb shells from the war days (1960s, 70s) as flower planters. On Phousi, though, there is an old Russian anti-aircraft cannon. I read that children use it as a makeshift merry-go-round.
We spent our days strolling through town; it's a pleasant place for walking. We visited monasteries and the royal palace, which is now a museum. It's unlike other palaces we've seen on this trip. Other palaces are huge and ornate and absurdly embellished. This palace was rather small and modest... almost simple, but still it was tasteful and regal -- like Luang Prabang itself. The locals believe the palace is haunted by the spirits of the royal family. They were exiled from Luang Prabang when the Pathet Laos took over in 1975. Many believed they were sent to a re-education camp, as happens when communists take over countries. But in truth, they were locked up in a cave in northeastern Laos and died between the years of 1978 and 1981 for lack of food and medical care.
Some days we did nothing at all, even though there are caves to explore and an impressive waterfall a short drive away. But Luang Prabang is the kind of city where one can linger over a lemon shake at an outdoor cafe and watch the world go by. It goes by without hurry, though, and so we found ourselves there for much longer than planned.
posted by Cheryn at 4:06 PM
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