- Luang Prabang sits majestically on a promontory over the confluence of the Nam Khan* and the mighty Mekong.
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Only four blocks wide by a dozen blocks long, it was the royal, administrative and monastic capital or northern Laos for centuries. It's beauty spared it from destruction by rival kingdoms; it's right-wing, royalist loyalties protected it from American bombs.
Only four blocks wide by a dozen blocks long, it was the royal, administrative and monastic capital or northern Laos for centuries. It's beauty spared it from destruction by rival kingdoms; it's right-wing, royalist loyalties protected it from American bombs.
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- Today, the Unesco World Heritage site is an A-list stop on the South-East Asian "tourism circuit". Travellers from around the world drop in on direct flights from Bangkok, Siem Reip (Ankor Wat) or Singapore to visit the famous monasteries.
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The first stop is often Wat Xieng Thong, with it's famous "Sim", or ordination hall, built in 1560. (note, many of the photos are taken at sunset, when the temperature has dropped into a reasonable range).
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The Sim is surrounded by smaller 'chapels', their exterior surfaces illustrated with glass mosaics of everyday life. This is the Haw Pa Maan, housing the "success" Buddha.
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Wat Xieng Thong is only one of many wats that dot the small city. Each one is richly decorated and carefully maintained. This temple was referred to by the French colonialists as "la chapelle rouge".
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The recent Wat Ho Pha Bang, built to house the gold alloy Bhudda for which the town is named, continues the tradition of multi-tiered, sweeping roofs and sumptuous gold and red ornamentation.
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At sunset, it rises majestically over the glow of the night market.
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- Despite it's historical and architectural heritage, the city is hardly a museum. The local population continues to work and play in amongst the grandeur.
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The dancers on the carved facade of this chapel seem to join in the children's game of one-legged tag.
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- A young citizen finds a sturdy perch to watch the fun.
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... the on-going maintenance of the temples (this young monk is repainting the gold leaf facings on the roof)... 
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After 7 days, I felt I was only beginning to appreciate it's magic.
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Enveloping the monastic complexes is a well-preserved French colonial town, it's century-old buildings moldering in the tropical heat and humidity.
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- Modern constructions, like this riverside hotel, must conform to the strict World Heriage guidelines. The same constraints that keep heavy vehicles out of the city centre.
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Part of the magic of Luang Prabang is the gentle confluence of tradition and tourism. A lively cafe scene lines the main street - with smart French restaurants, excellent coffee houses and bakeries, and a wide range of accommodations - from back-packers' flophouses to exclusive boutique hotels.
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- The tourism doesn't seem to impinge on the timeless traditions of Bhuddist monastic life: the sun-rise procession of young monks collecting alms from the faithful...
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... the on-going maintenance of the temples (this young monk is repainting the gold leaf facings on the roof)... - 
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... and not-so quiet contemplation. These two young monks were amusing themselves by photographing the tourists with their cell phones.
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Days can be filled with boat trips along the Mekong to caves and waterfalls, cooking and weaving courses, trekking, cycling or kayaking expeditions, even Mahout lessons (training and working with elephants). There's an ethnographic centre that introduces the 40+ local ethnic groups and a National Museum that explains the lifestyle of the local royal family (who died in a work camp when the Marxist-Lenninist Pathet Lao took control of the country in 1975).
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- And in the evening, the Royal Ballet of Luang Prabang revives the performance traditions that were banned for decades, for a small but appreciative audience of foreigners.
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Luang Prabang is a city that has the potential to work magic on those who take the time to slow down and look up. Beyond a few fancy temples and a night market selling cheap souvenirs, it is an oasis of comfort and culture, a refuge for traditions that have survived an unsympathetic political dictatorship. A compact cluster of fascination set into a ruggedly beautiful landscape of grand rivers and forests.
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After 7 days, I felt I was only beginning to appreciate it's magic. - 30 -
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* Khan River
