LUANG PRABANG Attractions

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The Wat Xieng Thong, built on the Mekong in 1559, is widely considered the most beautiful Wat in Luang Prabang. This Wat is so striking, that it motivated UNESCO's recognition of Luang Prabang as a World Heritage Site.  This most important and significant royal Wat consists of a tranquil compound filled with intricate carvings and mosaics, detailed paintings, and low, wide, tiled roofs.  Wat Xieng Thong was built by King Saisetthathirat and was spared destruction by the Chinese raids of 1887.  (The Black Flag leader, Deo Van Tri, had studied here as a young man and used the grounds as headquarters for his invasion.)  The sim's rear wall has an impressive tree of life mosaic. The interior walls and ceiling are decorated with beautiful frescoes and dharma wheels.  Wat Xieng Thong houses a standing Buddha, which is paraded through the town every year, as well as a rare reclining Buddha, a bronze that dates to the construction of the building.  Also in the compound is the royal funeral carriage of King Sisavang Vong, a 12 meter high wooden hearse with a carved seven headed serpent.  Wat Mai, beside the Royal Palace on Sisavang Vong St. was originally called Wat Souvanna Phommaram, this was the original home of the Buddhist leader, Phra Sangkharath, and is a standard of the Luang Prabang style of religious architecture.  After 70 years of construction, the building was finally inaugurated in 1788.  The five tiered roof protects walls of golden bas-relief, which tell the story of the Buddha's incarnation and depict scenes of village life.  Inside, the central beam is carved with the Hindu epic of Ravanna and Hanuaman.  This Wat once housed the golden Pra Bang, or "large Buddha image" after which the town was named.  Every year, the statue is returned here for its ritual cleansing.  Wat That Luang, off Thanon Phu Wao Road, is rumored to have been established by missionaries from India in the 3rd century B.C.  Today it houses the most monks of all the Wats in Luang Prabang.  The current sim was built in 1818 by King Manthaturat, and the gold stupa in the end of the compound contains the remains of King Sisavang Vong, the last king of Luang Prabang.  Townspeople to this day remember him fondly by leaving flowers and other offerings.  Also in the courtyard, a stone stupa supposedly contains some remains of the Buddha.  On this site in May, the pious hold the Vien Thiene candlelight festival.  The Wat is typical of the Luang Prabang style in many respects, including its gold leaf bars on the windows of the sim.  Phou Si, the hill at the center of town, aside from offering excellent views of Luang Prabang, the Mekong River, and the surrounding jungle, the 100 meter high hill has some significant sites.  On the north-eastern side of the hill are the ruins of Wat Pra Putthabaat, built at the end of the 14th century, supposedly on the site of the Buddha's footprint.  On the northern side is Wat Paa Huak, also abandoned.  The carved doors of the decaying sim are locked, but a gratuity should gain you access.  The faded interior murals, depicting rural scenes and mythological stories, give an insightful contrast to the restoration work of UNESCO in other wats around town.  At the top of the hill is the 24-meter high That Chomsi, constructed in 1804 and restored in 1914.  If you want to go up from the base to the top of Phou Si, you have to climb up the 328 zigzag stairs up the hill slope. From the top you will be able to see the view of the city, from there you can also see the National Museum. It has been told that you are still not in Luang Prabang unless you visit Phra Thaat Phou Si.  A gold stupa is all that remains of the temples that once covered the hill during the 18th century.  On the Lao New Year, townspeople walk from the little sanctuary down the hill carrying candles and effigies of Naga, the town's protector.  In a stark reminder of the years of conflict, also on the hill is an abandoned Russian anti-aircraft cannon.  Unlike the royal family that inhabited it, the Royal Palace survived the 1975 Communist revolution.  A year later, the royal home was turned into the National Museum.  Begun by King Sisavang Vong in 1904, the palace wasn't completed until 1909, with the later addition of two wings and a traditional Lao tiled roof.  Built by Vietnamese labor, embellished by Thai artisans, and funded by colonial authorities, the Royal Palace is in a way a symbol of Laos, a country long occupied by foreigners.  Khmer in style, the building was actually constructed and designed by the French as a way to keep control of the royal family.  Beneath the symbols of Lao royalty in the entrance, two French lilies indicate colonial influence.  The palace is today the home of the Pra Bang, the 83 cm gold statue of the Buddha that gives the town its name.  (Most people say it's a replica, though, and the original is either in Vientiane or Moscow).  Brought to Cambodia in the 11th century from Ceylon, the statue is thought to have been cast in the 1st century in Sri Lanka.  To legitimize Lao sovereignty, it was given in 1359 by Khmer ruler Phaya Sirichantha to King Fa Ngum, founder of Lan Xang, the Kingdom of the Million Elephants.  The National Museum houses the Royal throne of Lan Xang kingdom in its original splendor, and many other regalia and religious treasures.  It is located on the bank of the Mekong River, facing Mount Phusi.  Just outside of the museum you will see the statue of King Sisavangvong made by former Soviet Union. Right in front of the King's statue is the Phra Bang Chapel which houses the Phra Bang (the holy Buddha statue that represents the city of Luang Prabang).  Wat Wisunalat, built in the early 1500s, is one of the oldest wats in Luang Prabang and is distinguished by its large hemispherical structure called a stupa.  Locals call it Thaat Makmo -- the Watermelon Stupa -- because it resembles half of a watermelon.  A two-hour boat ride upstream from Luang Prabang delivers you to the Pak Ou limestone caverns of Tham Ting and Tam Theung, situated at the base of beguiling vertical rock cliffs.  Inside these magnificent caves, you will find ancient depictions of Buddha and a statue of the hermit Leusi.  Tham Ting is located at Pak Ou about 40km from Luang Prabang city. There are lots and lots of small Buddha images inside the cave. No one knows how long ago that people took those Buddha images and kept them there. Buddha images are made of wood, all sorts of metal and other materials. This place represents how much Lao people especially Luang Prabang people believe in Buddhism.  On the opposite bank of the Mekong from the caves sits the village of Ban Xang Hai.  Though for centuries the village made its living by crafting stoneware jars, more recently it has become famous for brewing a particularly fiendish liquor, made from fermented sticky rice, called 'lao-lao.' Most boatmen running tours to the Pak Ou Caves include a stop at the 'Whisky Village' seeming to appreciate that a quick drink is required after viewing all those damaged Buddha images.  Hidden deep in a primeval forest, the Kouangsy Waterfalls caress the cliffs like angel feathers falling from the sky.  Along the way to the falls, you will pass through several small villages that are sustained by the surrounding rice paddies.  These beautiful, multi-level falls are popular with tourists and locals alike as picnic grounds and photo opportunities.  The falls tumble down over 60  m, through a series of limpid pools, and the spray keeps the surrounding picnic grounds cool throughout even the hottest times of the year.  Taat Kuang Si - this is the biggest and most famous waterfall in Luang Prabang. It is located 30 kilometer down south from the city of Luang Prabang. This is a perfect place for relaxation because of its fresh air and fantastic view. Around the area you can see how rural people live. In there you can also see many different ways that people use hydropower in their basic lifestyle.