Difference between revisions of "Luang Phrabang" - New World Encyclopedia

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'''Luang Prabang''', or '''Louangphrabang''' (Lao: [[wikt:ຫລວງພະບາງ|ຫລວງພະບາງ]], IPA: {{IPA|/luaŋ pʰabaːŋ/}}), is a city located in north central [[Laos]], on the [[Mekong River]] about 425 kilometers north of [[Vientiane]], and the capital of [[Louangphrabang Province]]. The current population of the city numbers about 103,000. The city had been the capital of the Luang Prabang kingdom.<ref>Keat Gin Ooi. 2004. ''Southeast Asia: a historical encyclopedia, from Angkor Wat to East Timor'' (Santa Barbara, Calif: ABC-CLIO), p. 796.</ref> Until the communist takeover in 1975, it served as the royal capital and seat of government of the [[Kingdom of Laos]]. [[UNESCO]] designated the Town of Luang Prabang a [[World Heritage Site]] in 1995.
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'''Luang Prabang,''' or '''Louangphrabang''' (Lao: [[wikt:ຫລວງພະບາງ|ຫລວງພະບາງ]], IPA: {{IPA|/luaŋ pʰabaːŋ/}}), a city located in north central [[Laos]], is situated on the [[Mekong River]] about {{convert|425|km|mi}} north of [[Vientiane]], the capital of [[Louangphrabang Province]]. The town of Luang Phrabang is best known for its blend of traditional Laotian urban architecture with nineteenth and twentieth century [[Europe]]an colonial [[architecture]]. [[UNESCO]] noted that feature as distinctive, as well as its historical and religious heritage, when designating Luang Phrabang a [[World Heritage Site]] in 1995.<ref>UNESCO, [http://whc.unesco.org/pg.cfm?cid=31&id_site=479 Town of Luang Prabang.] Retrieved September 17, 2008.</ref> Luang Prabang developed and grew at the confluence of Mekong River tributaries. It was the capital of the [[Lan Xang]] kingdom during the fourteenth century.<ref>Keat Gin Ooi, ''Southeast Asia: A Historical Encyclopedia, From Angkor Wat to East Timor'' (Santa Barbara, Calif: ABC-CLIO, 2004), 796.</ref> The city received its name from a famous gold [[Buddha]] statue of the same name. The [[Silk Road]] passed through it, bringing great wealth and [[Buddhism|Buddhist]] [[monk]]s who often established [[monastery|monasteries]] along the Silk Road, attracting generous donations for building temples.
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Luang Phrabang became a center for [[Theravada]] or [[Hinayana]] [[Buddhism]] featuring eighty monasteries. Wat Xieng Thong temple built in the sixteenth century serves as an outstanding example.<ref>UNESCO, [http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/479/video World Heritage Video.] Retrieved September 17, 2008.</ref> Wat Xieng Thong temple presents a style of Buddhist architecture unique to Luang Phrabang, with a multi-layered roof and its facing side decorated with gold carvings. On the back wall of the temple, a Tree of Life depicts the story of Buddha. The monasteries in Luang Phrabang are all active, with attendant monks numbering near 1,200.<ref>UNESCO, [http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/479/video World Heritage Video.] Retrieved September 17, 2008.</ref> 
  
 
==History==
 
==History==
−
[[Muang Sua]] had been the earlier name of '''Luang Prabang''' following its conquest in 698 C.E. by a [[Tai peoples|Tai]] prince, [[Khun Lo]], who seized his opportunity when [[Nan-chao]] was engaged elsewhere.<ref> John Stewart Bowman. 2000. ''Columbia chronologies of Asian history and culture'' (New York: Columbia University Press), p. 453</ref> 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.
+
[[Image:La-map.png|thumb|right|220px|Luang Prabang sits just north of Vientiane]]
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[[Tai peoples|Tai]] prince, [[Khun Lo]] named the place that would later become Laung Phrabang, [[Muang Sua]], following a successful conquest in 698 C.E..<ref>John Stewart Bowman, ''Columbia Chronologies of Asian History and Culture'' (New York: Columbia University Press, 2000), 453.</ref> Khun Lo had been awarded the town by his father, [[Khun Borom]], associated with the Lao legend of the creation of the world. The Lao share that creation legend with the [[Shan]] and other peoples of the region. Khun Lo established a dynasty that held the kingdom Muang Sua in tributary servitude for nearly 100 years.
  
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In the second half of the eighth 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]].<ref>Andrea Matles Savada. 1995. ''Laos: a country study. Area handbook series'' (Washington, DC: Federal Research Division, Library of Congress), p. 6.</ref>
+
In the second half of the eighth century, the confederation of [[Nan-chao]] meddled often in the affairs of the principalities of the middle Mekong Valley, leading to its occupation of Muang Sua in 709 C.E. Nan-chao princes and administrators replaced the aristocracy of Tai overlords. Dates of the occupation remain unclear, but their rule has been assumed to have ended well before the northward expansion of the [[Khmer empire]] under [[Indravarman I]] (r. 877-889) and extended as far as the territories of [[Xishuangbanna Dai Autonomous Prefecture|Sipsong Panna]] on the upper [[Mekong]].<ref>Andrea Matles Savada ''Laos: A Country Study. Area Handbook Series'' (Washington, DC: Federal Research Division, Library of Congress, 1995), 6.</ref>
  
 
[[Image:Luang Prabang Rue.JPG|thumb|left|220px|A street in Luang Prabang]]
 
[[Image:Luang Prabang Rue.JPG|thumb|left|220px|A street in Luang Prabang]]
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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 languages|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 [[Khmu people|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 [[Siam]]ese administrative system of the seventh century. At some point, [[Theravada Buddhism]] was subsumed by [[Mahayana Buddhism]].<ref>Savada. ''Laos", p. 7.</ref>
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In the meantime, the Khmer dynasty founded an outpost at Xay Fong near [[Vientiane]], and the [[Champa|Champa dynasty]] expanded again in southern Laos, maintaining its presence on the banks of the Mekong until 1070 C.E. 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 languages|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 [[Khmu people|Kammu]] (alternate spellings include Khamu and Khmu) tribesman, extended his territory as a result of the warring of those principalities and probably ruled from 1128 to 1169. Under Khun Chuang, a single family ruled over a far-flung territory and reinstituted the [[Siam]]ese administrative system of the seventh century. During that period, [[Mahayana Buddhism]] subsumed [[Theravada Buddhism]].<ref>Savada, ''Laos,'' 7.</ref>
  
 
[[Image:Buddhist temple at Royal Palace in Luang Prabang.jpg|thumb|220|right|Buddhist Temple at Haw Kham (Royal Palace) complex.]]
 
[[Image:Buddhist temple at Royal Palace in Luang Prabang.jpg|thumb|220|right|Buddhist Temple at Haw Kham (Royal Palace) complex.]]
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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 (city)|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 [[Vientiane|Vien Chang]], which remains the capital today.
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Xieng Dong Xieng Thong experienced a brief period of Khmer [[suzerainty]] under [[Jayavarman VII]] from 1185 to 1191. By 1180, the Sipsong Panna regained their independence from the Khmer dynasty. 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]]. In 1560, King [[Setthathirath]] I moved the capital to [[Vientiane|Vien Chang]], which remains the capital.
  
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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 (metaphor)|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]].<ref>Thi Dieu Nguyen. 1999. ''The Mekong River and the struggle for Indochina: water, war, and peace'' (Westport, Conn: Praeger), p. 10.</ref>
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In 1707, Lan Xang disintegrated and Luang Prabang became the capital of the independent Luang Prabang kingdom. When [[France]] annexed Laos, they recognized Luang Prabang as the royal residence of Laos. Eventually, the ruler of Luang Prabang became synonymous with the [[Figurehead (metaphor)|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]].<ref>Thi Dieu Nguyen ''The Mekong River and the Struggle for Indochina: Water, War, and Peace'' (Westport, Conn: Praeger, 1999), 10.</ref>
  
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==Monarchs of Luang Prabang==
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==Prominent monarchs of Luang Prabang==
 
*[[Khun Lo]], warlord who founded the city
 
*[[Khun Lo]], warlord who founded the city
 
*[[Fa Ngum]], prince of Luang Prabang who founded [[Lan Xang]]
 
*[[Fa Ngum]], prince of Luang Prabang who founded [[Lan Xang]]
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*[[Sisavang Vong]], king under the French, and when France granted Laos independence, he became king of the whole country
 
*[[Sisavang Vong]], king under the French, and when France granted Laos independence, he became king of the whole country
  
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==Historical and Natural Sites<ref>Ismail Serageldin and Joan Martin-Brown. 1998. ''Partnerships for global ecosystem management science, economics and law: proceedings and reference readings'' (Washington, DC: World bank), p. 269.</ref>==
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==Historical and Natural Sites<ref>Ismail Serageldin and Joan Martin-Brown, ''Partnerships for Global Ecosystem Management Science, Economics and Law: Proceedings and Reference Readings'' (Washington, DC: World bank, 1998), 269.</ref>==
 
[[Image:Luangphabang okt98.jpg|thumbnail|380px|right|Luangphabang seen from right bank of Mekong (montage)]]
 
[[Image:Luangphabang okt98.jpg|thumbnail|380px|right|Luangphabang seen from right bank of Mekong (montage)]]
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* [[Kuang Si Falls]]
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* '''[[Kuang Si Falls]].''' A waterfall twenty nine kilometers (eighteen miles) south of Luang Prabang.
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* [[Phu Si]]
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* '''Tham Phu Si.''' A small cave temple on Mount Phousi in Luang Prabang.
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* [[Royal Palace Museum]] ([[Haw Kham]])
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* '''[[Royal Palace Museum]]''' ([[Haw Kham]]). The Royal Palace (official name "Haw Kham") had been built in 1904 during the French colonial era for King Sisavang Vong and his family.
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* [[Wat Aham]]
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* '''Wat Aham.''' Originally built in 1527, the current temple had been constructed in in 1818 in classical Luang Prabang style.
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* [[Wat Mai Suwannaphumaham]]
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* '''[[Wat Mai Suwannaphumaham]].''' The largest and most richly decorated of the Buddhist temples in Luang Prabang.
−
* [[Wat Manorom]]
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* '''Wat Manorom.''' Amajor Buddhist temple and monastery in Luang Prabang.
−
* [[Wat That Luang]]
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* '''Wat That Luang.''' Date originally to the Khmer dynasty (eleventh to thirteenth centuries), the stupa had been rebuilt in the 1930s.
−
* [[Wat Wisunarat]]
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* '''Wat Wisunarat.''' The oldest operating temple in Luang Prabang.
−
* [[Wat Xieng Muan]]
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* '''Wat Xieng Muan.''' Although probably built originally centuries earlier, Wat Xieng Muan (full name Wat Xieng Muan Vajiramangalaram) had been built by Phragna Sisonxay in 1853 during the reign of King Chantharath Koumane (1850-1868).<ref>Cultural Profiles, [http://www.culturalprofiles.net/Laos/Units/758.html Laos Cultural Profiles ProjectCultural Profile: Wat Xieng Muan.] Retrieved August 31, 2008.</ref>  
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* [[Wat Xieng Thong]]
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* '''[[Wat Xieng Thong]].''' A Buddhist temple (wat) in Luang Phrabang built in 1560 by King Setthathirath.
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==Travel==
 
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[[Image:Luang Prabang Phou Si.JPG|right|220px]]
 
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Luang Prabang is served by [[Luang Prabang International Airport]] with non-stop flights to
 
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*Laos: [[Phongsaly]], [[Vientiane]], [[Xieng Khouang Airport|Xieng Khuang]] ([[Phonsavan]])
 
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*[[Thailand]]: [[Bangkok]], [[Chiang Mai]]
 
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*[[Cambodia]]: [[Siem Reap]]
 
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*[[Vietnam]]: [[Ha Noi]]
 
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*[[Malaysia]]: [[Kuala Lumpur]]
 
−
 
 
−
Luang Prabang is linked by road to:
 
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* Route 13: [[Vang Vieng]] and [[Vientiane]]
 
−
* Route 1: [[Muang Xay]]
 
−
 
 
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Travelers from [[Chiang Khong]] can hire a barge for the Mekong River crossing. The road from [[Huay Xai]] (the Laos town across the river from Chiang Khong) to Luang Prabang  is poorly maintained, remote, unlit, unmarked and extremely dangerous for the unfamiliar traveler, particularly in the wet season. Regular buses nonetheless do run, taking 14-16 hours. <ref>[http://www.travelfish.org/transport/laos/northern_laos/luang_prabang/luang_prabang/all Luang Prabang]. Retrieved August 31, 2008.</ref>
 
−
 
 
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The road from [[Vientiene]] (the capital of Laos) to Luang Prabang is generally well paved, but remote, narrow, curvy, unmarked, and unlit. Several daily buses run from Vientiane to Luang Prabang, taking 8-10 hours <ref>[http://www.travelfish.org/transport/laos/northern_laos/luang_prabang/luang_prabang/all Luang Prabang]. Retrieved August 31, 2008.</ref>. Travelers from [[Nong Khai]] in Thailand can cross the Mekong River to Vientiane using the [[Thai–Lao Friendship Bridge]]. The Mekong is an important transportation link. [[Huay Xai]], upriver near the Thai border, can be reached by slow boat in two days, typically with a stop at [[Pakbeng]].
 
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==Current History==
 
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The late folk singer [[Dave Van Ronk]] named his infamous and sardonic anti-war song ''Luang Prabang'', which was also featured on the infamous [[Patrick Sky]] album, Songs That Made America Famous. Matt Harding, from the [[Internet phenomenon]] "[[Where the Hell is Matt?]]," danced in Luang Prabang for his second travel video. <ref>[http://www.wherethehellismatt.com/ Where the hell is Matt?]. Retrieved August 31, 2008.</ref> China has recently allowed its citizens to travel more freely to Laos. As such, Chinese tourists are expected to account for 25 percent of the total number of visitors to Laos (up from only a few percent) in 2006. Pressures to modernize tourist infrastructure, particularly to cater to package tourism, are expected to significantly impact Luang Prabang and other culturally significant Laotian cities and sites. <ref>[http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?set_id=14&click_id=418&art_id=qw1123660802322T614 IOL Travel]. Retrieved August 31, 2008.</ref> [[Kahn Souphanousinphone]] from the animated television show [[King of the Hill]] is from Louangphrabong.
 
  
 
==Gallery==
 
==Gallery==
 
<center>
 
<center>
 
<gallery>
 
<gallery>
−
Markt Luang Prabang.jpg|A street market in Luang Prabang
+
Image:Markt Luang Prabang.jpg|A street market in Luang Prabang.
 +
Image:Haw Kham-Luang Phrabang.jpg|Royal palace museum of Luang Phrabang (Haw Kham)
 +
Image:Palais-Musée.JPG|Luang Prabang: National Museum (ancient royal palace)
 +
Image:Kuang Si 3.JPG| Kuang Si Falls, Luang Prabang (Laos)
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Image:Mosaic detail, Wat Xieng Thong.jpg|Mosaic detail, Wat Xieng Thong, Luang Prabang
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Image:Wat Xieng Thong 2.jpg|Wat Xieng Thong, Luang Prabang
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Image:Mosaic.jpg|Mosaic detail from the wall of Wat Xien Thong temple, Luang Prabang, Laos.
 
</gallery>
 
</gallery>
 
</center>
 
</center>
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==References==
 
==References==
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* Bowman, John Stewart. 2000. Columbia chronologies of Asian history and culture. New York: Columbia University Press. ISBN 9780231110051.
+
* Bowman, John Stewart. 2000. ''Columbia Chronologies of Asian History and Culture.'' New York: Columbia University Press. ISBN 9780231110051.
−
* Nguyen, Thi Dieu. 1999. The Mekong River and the struggle for Indochina: water, war, and peace. Westport, Conn: Praeger. ISBN 9780275961374.
+
* Nguyen, Thi Dieu. 1999. ''The Mekong River and the Struggle for Indochina: Water, War, and Peace.'' Westport, Conn: Praeger. ISBN 9780275961374.
−
* Ooi, Keat Gin. 2004. ''Southeast Asia: a historical encyclopedia, from Angkor Wat to East Timor''. Santa Barbara, Calif: ABC-CLIO. ISBN 9781576077702.
+
* Ooi, Keat Gin. 2004. ''Southeast Asia: A Historical Encyclopedia, from Angkor Wat to East Timor''. Santa Barbara, Calif: ABC-CLIO. ISBN 9781576077702.
−
* Savada, Andrea Matles. 1995. Laos: a country study. Area handbook series. Washington, DC: Federal Research Division, Library of Congress. ISBN 9780844408323.
+
* Savada, Andrea Matles. 1995. ''Laos: A Country Study. Area Handbook Series.'' Washington, DC: Federal Research Division, Library of Congress. ISBN 9780844408323.
−
* Serageldin, Ismail, and Joan Martin-Brown. 1998. Partnerships for global ecosystem management science, economics and law : proceedings and reference readings. Washington, DC: World bank. ISBN 9780821342657.
+
* Serageldin, Ismail, and Joan Martin-Brown. 1998. ''Partnerships for Global Ecosystem Management Science, Economics and Law: Proceedings and Reference Readings.'' Washington, DC: World bank. ISBN 9780821342657.
  
 
==External links==
 
==External links==
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{{commonscat|Luang Prabang}}
+
All links retrieved November 3, 2022.
  
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* [http://whc.unesco.org/pg.cfm?cid=31&id_site=479 UNESCO The Town of Luang Phrang]. Retrieved August 31, 2008.
+
* [http://whc.unesco.org/pg.cfm?cid=31&id_site=479 Town of Luang Prabang] UNESCO.  
−
* [http://cpalaos.cabiddu.net/index.php Cartes postales du Laos (french website)]. Retrieved August 31, 2008.
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* [http://www.asianews.it/index.php?l=en&art=1434 Violence against Christians in Vientiane and Luang Phrabang].
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* [http://www.visit-laos.com/where/luangprabang/index.htm Where to visit: Luang Phrabang]. Retrieved August 31, 2008.
 
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* [http://www.laoembassy.com/discover/sites/luangprabang.htm Luang Prabang Province]. Retrieved August 31, 2008.
 
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* [http://www.downtheroad.org/Asia/Photo/a2Laos_Pictures/4Luang_Phrabang_Monks_Wats_Mekong.htm Pictures of Luang Phrabang, Laos: Monks, Wats, and a boat tour on the Mekong River.]. Retrieved August 31, 2008.
 
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* [http://www.asianews.it/index.php?l=en&art=1434 Violence against Christians in Vientiane and Luang Phrabang]. Retrieved August 31, 2008.
 
  
 
{{coor title dm|19|53|N|102|08|E|region:LA_type:city}}
 
{{coor title dm|19|53|N|102|08|E|region:LA_type:city}}

Latest revision as of 04:17, 4 November 2022


Town of Luang Prabang*
UNESCO World Heritage Site
Luang Prabang Phou Si
State Party Flag of Laos Laos
Type Cultural
Criteria ii, iv, v
Reference 479
Region** Asia-Pacific
Inscription history
Inscription 1995  (19th Session)
* Name as inscribed on World Heritage List.
** Region as classified by UNESCO.

Luang Prabang, or Louangphrabang (Lao: ຫລວງພະບາງ, IPA: /luaŋ pʰabaːŋ/), a city located in north central Laos, is situated on the Mekong River about 425 kilometers (264 mi) north of Vientiane, the capital of Louangphrabang Province. The town of Luang Phrabang is best known for its blend of traditional Laotian urban architecture with nineteenth and twentieth century European colonial architecture. UNESCO noted that feature as distinctive, as well as its historical and religious heritage, when designating Luang Phrabang a World Heritage Site in 1995.[1] Luang Prabang developed and grew at the confluence of Mekong River tributaries. It was the capital of the Lan Xang kingdom during the fourteenth century.[2] The city received its name from a famous gold Buddha statue of the same name. The Silk Road passed through it, bringing great wealth and Buddhist monks who often established monasteries along the Silk Road, attracting generous donations for building temples.

Luang Phrabang became a center for Theravada or Hinayana Buddhism featuring eighty monasteries. Wat Xieng Thong temple built in the sixteenth century serves as an outstanding example.[3] Wat Xieng Thong temple presents a style of Buddhist architecture unique to Luang Phrabang, with a multi-layered roof and its facing side decorated with gold carvings. On the back wall of the temple, a Tree of Life depicts the story of Buddha. The monasteries in Luang Phrabang are all active, with attendant monks numbering near 1,200.[4]

History

Luang Prabang sits just north of Vientiane

Tai prince, Khun Lo named the place that would later become Laung Phrabang, Muang Sua, following a successful conquest in 698 C.E.[5] Khun Lo had been awarded the town by his father, Khun Borom, associated with the Lao legend of the creation of the world. The Lao share that creation legend with the Shan and other peoples of the region. Khun Lo established a dynasty that held the kingdom Muang Sua in tributary servitude for nearly 100 years.

In the second half of the eighth century, the confederation of Nan-chao meddled often in the affairs of the principalities of the middle Mekong Valley, leading to its occupation of Muang Sua in 709 C.E. Nan-chao princes and administrators replaced the aristocracy of Tai overlords. Dates of the occupation remain unclear, but their rule has been assumed to have ended well before the northward expansion of the Khmer empire under Indravarman I (r. 877-889) and extended as far as the territories of Sipsong Panna on the upper Mekong.[6]

A street in Luang Prabang

In the meantime, the Khmer dynasty founded an outpost at Xay Fong near Vientiane, and the Champa dynasty expanded again in southern Laos, maintaining its presence on the banks of the Mekong until 1070 C.E. 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 those 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 seventh century. During that period, Mahayana Buddhism subsumed Theravada Buddhism.[7]

Buddhist Temple at Haw Kham (Royal Palace) complex.

Xieng Dong Xieng Thong experienced a brief period of Khmer suzerainty under Jayavarman VII from 1185 to 1191. By 1180, the Sipsong Panna regained their independence from the Khmer dynasty. 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. In 1560, King Setthathirath I moved the capital to Vien Chang, which remains the capital.

In 1707, Lan Xang disintegrated and Luang Prabang became the capital of the independent Luang Prabang kingdom. When France annexed Laos, they 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.[8]

Prominent monarchs of Luang Prabang

  • Khun Lo, warlord who founded the city
  • Fa Ngum, prince of Luang Prabang who founded Lan Xang
  • Oun Kham, king who ruled under the French
  • Kham Souk (Zakarine), king who ruled under the French and who pushed for independence
  • Sisavang Vong, king under the French, and when France granted Laos independence, he became king of the whole country

Historical and Natural Sites[9]

Luangphabang seen from right bank of Mekong (montage)
  • Kuang Si Falls. A waterfall twenty nine kilometers (eighteen miles) south of Luang Prabang.
  • Tham Phu Si. A small cave temple on Mount Phousi in Luang Prabang.
  • Royal Palace Museum (Haw Kham). The Royal Palace (official name "Haw Kham") had been built in 1904 during the French colonial era for King Sisavang Vong and his family.
  • Wat Aham. Originally built in 1527, the current temple had been constructed in in 1818 in classical Luang Prabang style.
  • Wat Mai Suwannaphumaham. The largest and most richly decorated of the Buddhist temples in Luang Prabang.
  • Wat Manorom. Amajor Buddhist temple and monastery in Luang Prabang.
  • Wat That Luang. Date originally to the Khmer dynasty (eleventh to thirteenth centuries), the stupa had been rebuilt in the 1930s.
  • Wat Wisunarat. The oldest operating temple in Luang Prabang.
  • Wat Xieng Muan. Although probably built originally centuries earlier, Wat Xieng Muan (full name Wat Xieng Muan Vajiramangalaram) had been built by Phragna Sisonxay in 1853 during the reign of King Chantharath Koumane (1850-1868).[10]
  • Wat Xieng Thong. A Buddhist temple (wat) in Luang Phrabang built in 1560 by King Setthathirath.

Gallery

  • A street market in Luang Prabang.

  • Royal palace museum of Luang Phrabang (Haw Kham)

  • Luang Prabang: National Museum (ancient royal palace)

  • Kuang Si Falls, Luang Prabang (Laos)

  • Mosaic detail, Wat Xieng Thong, Luang Prabang

  • Wat Xieng Thong, Luang Prabang

  • Mosaic detail from the wall of Wat Xien Thong temple, Luang Prabang, Laos.

See also

  • Laos
  • Phra Bang
  • Emerald Buddha

Notes

  1. ↑ UNESCO, Town of Luang Prabang. Retrieved September 17, 2008.
  2. ↑ Keat Gin Ooi, Southeast Asia: A Historical Encyclopedia, From Angkor Wat to East Timor (Santa Barbara, Calif: ABC-CLIO, 2004), 796.
  3. ↑ UNESCO, World Heritage Video. Retrieved September 17, 2008.
  4. ↑ UNESCO, World Heritage Video. Retrieved September 17, 2008.
  5. ↑ John Stewart Bowman, Columbia Chronologies of Asian History and Culture (New York: Columbia University Press, 2000), 453.
  6. ↑ Andrea Matles Savada Laos: A Country Study. Area Handbook Series (Washington, DC: Federal Research Division, Library of Congress, 1995), 6.
  7. ↑ Savada, Laos, 7.
  8. ↑ Thi Dieu Nguyen The Mekong River and the Struggle for Indochina: Water, War, and Peace (Westport, Conn: Praeger, 1999), 10.
  9. ↑ Ismail Serageldin and Joan Martin-Brown, Partnerships for Global Ecosystem Management Science, Economics and Law: Proceedings and Reference Readings (Washington, DC: World bank, 1998), 269.
  10. ↑ Cultural Profiles, Laos Cultural Profiles ProjectCultural Profile: Wat Xieng Muan. Retrieved August 31, 2008.

References
ISBN links support NWE through referral fees

  • Bowman, John Stewart. 2000. Columbia Chronologies of Asian History and Culture. New York: Columbia University Press. ISBN 9780231110051.
  • Nguyen, Thi Dieu. 1999. The Mekong River and the Struggle for Indochina: Water, War, and Peace. Westport, Conn: Praeger. ISBN 9780275961374.
  • Ooi, Keat Gin. 2004. Southeast Asia: A Historical Encyclopedia, from Angkor Wat to East Timor. Santa Barbara, Calif: ABC-CLIO. ISBN 9781576077702.
  • Savada, Andrea Matles. 1995. Laos: A Country Study. Area Handbook Series. Washington, DC: Federal Research Division, Library of Congress. ISBN 9780844408323.
  • Serageldin, Ismail, and Joan Martin-Brown. 1998. Partnerships for Global Ecosystem Management Science, Economics and Law: Proceedings and Reference Readings. Washington, DC: World bank. ISBN 9780821342657.

External links

All links retrieved November 3, 2022.

Coordinates: 19°53′N 102°08′E

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