January 2013
Luang Prabang is a city in north-central Laos. It’s made up of 58 nearby villages, with 33 of them forming the UNESCO Town of Luang Prabang World Heritage Site. The city earned this recognition in 1995 because of its exceptional preservation of architecture, religious sites, and culture. Its history blends rural and urban developments over many centuries, including influences from French colonial times.
The heart of the city is on a peninsula where the Nam Khan and Mekong rivers meet. Luang Prabang is famous for its many Buddhist temples and monasteries. Each morning, hundreds of monks from these places walk through the streets to collect food donations. Mount Phou Si is a significant landmark, a steep hill standing 150 meters tall. At the top, there’s Wat Chom Si shrine and a viewpoint offering stunning views of the city and rivers.
In the past, Luang Prabang was the capital of its own kingdom and was also known as Xieng Thong. It served as the royal capital and government center of the Kingdom of Laos until 1975 when control was taken over by the Pathet Lao, the Lao People’s Liberation Army, a communist political organization.
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