Luang Prabang

The gilded chedi atop Phu Si Hill.

 
Sited on a narrow strip of land formed where the Khan River flows into the Mekong, high up in the mountains of northern Laos, is the old royal capital of Luang Prabang -- or Louang Phabang, depending on how you choose to translate the Lao. The small town was designated a UNESCO world heritage site in 1995, meaning that the historic old district will be maintained as it is, with no new buildings built taller than the existing two story structures.

The city's small size means that you can see all the main sights in a couple of days. But its also the kind of place where you can linger -- that makes you want to linger -- for longer. See our overview for a map and quick overview of the sights.

History

The exact founding date of the city is rather fuzzy. The area may have been settled as long as 2,000 years ago. What is known is that the city became the capital of a small Lao principality sometime in the thirteenth century. A hundred years later, in the mid fourteenth century, it became a kingdom in its own right. 'Lan Xang Hom Khao' -- the land of a million elephants and the white parasol -- as it was called, was founded by Fa Ngum, whose family went on to rule Laos for six centuries.

Originally, the city was called Xieng Thong, but early in the sixteenth century the king accepted the revered Bang Buddha image from the Khmer royal family. Later on in the Sixteenth century, at about the same time that the administrative capital was moved to Vientiane, the city was renamed Luang Prabang (Luang: 'royal' - Pra / Pa: Buddha - Bang).

The French first arrived in Luang Prabang in 1867. Later that same century, the Haw from southern China sacked the town and practically burned it to the ground. This is the event that essentially forced the Lao to accept French protection. The French rebuilt the town, and managed to stay for a hundred years before the Pathet Lao ended both French rule and the monarchy.