| WHAT
TO SEE IN VIENTIANE CITY |
Luang
Prabang has dozens of temples and religious sites,
both large and small. The best way to see these
sites is by foot or by bicycle. The biggest
concentration of temples is in the old quarter, much
of which forms a peninsula between the Mekong and the
Khan rivers. In between temple visits, there are
many small restaurants perched high on the banks of
the Mekong where you can watch life go by at a very
slow pace
Wat
Xieng Thong - is situated 300m south of the confluence
of the Mekong and Khan rivers and was built in 1560.
The temple is the most stunning in Luang Prabang,
richly decorated with coloured glass and gold.
Mount Phousi and Wat That Chom Sii - situated 150m and
300 steps up above the peninsula with spectacular
views of the city and surrounding countryside.
The climb is tiring, but the views from the top are
certainly worth it. From the top, you can see the old
Royal Palace, now the Palace Museum, the rivers and
surrounding villages. The temple has a gold
spired stupa that can be seen from most parts of the
city.
The Royal Palace, now a museum houses a collection of
artefacts belonging to former rulers of the Kingdom of
Lane Xang. Photography is not
allowed in the museum.
Pak
Ou Caves
Situated 25km upriver from Luang Prabang at the
confluence of the Ou and Mekong rivers are two
caves, Tham Ting and Tham Phun, that house
countless numbers of Buddah images that have been
left over hundreds of years by devotees. The
caves are best accessed by boat from LuangPrabang,
either a slow boat, that takes about two hours to
reach or by speedboat.
Perhaps the most enjoyable way to visit the caves is
to take your time and enjoy a quiet lunch at the
caves - there is a covered rest area there
where you can relax, enkoy lunch and take your time
overlooking the Mekong river.
Ban Xang Hai
Near Pak Ou caves, downriver towards Luang Prabang
is the village of Ban Xang Hai, famous for its
manufacture of rice whiskey. The villagers
carry water from the Mekong and use it to soak rice
in large jars which sit for several days. The
fermented rice yields alcohol which can be drunk as
a cloudy liquid, or distilled to make a fire water.
Kuang Si Waterfalls
About 30km south of Luang Prabang, passing through
many ethnic minority villages are the magnificent
Kuang Sii Waterfalls. There are trails all
around the falls and visitors can swim in the lower
pools. The falls has a covered area for eating
and there are several stalls serving simple Lao food
and drink. A full day should be allowed
for a trip to the falls.
Ban Phanom Village
Situated four km from LuangPrabang is a small
village famous for its weavings. There is a
small market set up here, and you can wander in the
village and see village women weaving underneath
their homes
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ABOUT
VIENTIANE CITY
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Luang
Prabang, or Louangphrabang, is a city located in
north central Laos, on the Mekong River about
425 km north of Vientiane, and the capital of
Louangphrabang Province. The current population
of the city is about 103,000.
History
of Luang Prabang
The
city was formerly the capital of a kingdom of
the same name. Until the communist takeover in
1975, it was the royal capital and seat of
government of the Kingdom of Laos. The city is
also notable as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Muang
Sua was the old name of Luang Prabang following
its conquest in 698 A.D. by a Tai prince, Khun
Lo, who seized his opportunity when Nan-chao was
engaged elsewhere. Khun Lo had been awarded the
town by his father, Khun Borom, who is
associated with the Lao legend of the creation
of the world, which the Lao share with the Shan
and other peoples of the region. Khun Lo
established a dynasty whose fifteen rulers
reigned over an independent Muang Sua for the
better part of a century.
In the second half of the 8th century, Nan-chao
intervened frequently in the affairs of the
principalities of the middle Mekong Valley,
resulting in the occupation of Muang Sua in 709.
Nan-chao princes or administrators replaced the
aristocracy of Tai overlords. Dates of the
occupation are not known, but it probably ended
well before the northward expansion of the Khmer
empire under Indravarman I (r. 877-89) and
extended as far as the territories of Sipsong
Panna on the upper Mekong.
In the meantime, the Khmers founded an outpost
at Xay Fong near Vientiane, and Champa expanded
again in southern Laos, maintaining its presence
on the banks of the Mekong until 1070.
Chanthaphanit, the local ruler of Xay Fong,
moved north to Muang Sua and was accepted
peacefully as ruler after the departure of the
Nan-chao administrators. Chanthaphanit and his
son had long reigns, during which the town
became known by the Tai name Xieng Dong Xieng
Thong. The dynasty eventually became involved in
the squabbles of a number of principalities.
Khun Chuang, a warlike ruler who may have been a
Kammu (alternate spellings include Khamu and
Khmu) tribesman, extended his territory as a
result of the warring of these principalities
and probably ruled from 1128 to 1169. Under Khun
Chuang, a single family ruled over a far-flung
territory and reinstituted the Siamese
administrative system of the 7th century. At
some point, Theravada Buddhism was subsumed by
Mahayana Buddhism.
Xieng Dong Xieng Thong experienced a brief
period of Khmer suzerainty under Jayavarman VII
from 1185 to 1191. By 1180 the Sipsong Panna had
regained their independence from the Khmers,
however, and in 1238 an internal uprising in the
Khmer outpost of Sukhothai expelled the Khmer
overlords. Xieng Dong Xieng Thong in 1353 became
the capital of Lan Xang. The capital was moved
in 1560 by King Setthathirath I to Vien Chang,
which remains the capital today.
In 1707, Lan Xang fell apart and Luang Prabang
became the capital of the independent Luang
Prabang kingdom. When France annexed Laos, the
French recognized Luang Prabang as the royal
residence of Laos. Eventually, the ruler of
Luang Prabang became synonymous with the
figurehead of the French Protectorate of Laos.
When Laos achieved independence, the king of
Luang Prabang, Sisavang Vong, became the head of
state for the Kingdom of Laos. |
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