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A VERY early start this morning to observe the morning alms giving ceremony where monks walk through town in single file carrying their alms bowls to give laypeople the opportunity to offer alms and gain merit. Offerings by the people are usually comprised of sticky rice, fruit or simple traditional snacks. Known as Binthabat in Lao, this is a sacred religious ceremony and a spectacular scene that happens every day in Luang Prabang. Whilst people can take photos of this ceremony they are asked to show respect to the monks and unfortunately I have to say any form of respect was sadly missing given the conduct of many of the observers. People pushing & shoving each other as well as shoving their cameras into the monks faces definitely detracted from the ceremony and I left the area with a feeling of sadness that so many seem to have forgotten the purpose of the ceremony. Perhaps we were just unlucky where we were standing & I hope that this was the case.
We then walked slowly back to our hotel for breakfast meandering along the Nam River admiring the architecture of the town before heading out to see more of the the sights of Luang Prabang. We seem to have a packed day of sightseeing but still hoping to have the energy to hit the night market.
First stop is Wat Xieng Thong and what a magnificent temple it is. At the 'tip' of town, where the Khan flows into the Mekong, is one of the city's oldest and most important temples, Wat Xieng Thong ('Golden Tree'). The temple's sim (ordination hall) was built in 1560. The temple was spared destruction by the Black Flag Haw invasion of the late nineteenth century and so is one of the few temples that has been in continuous use since its founding. The sim's sweeping roofs are considered the definition of the Luang Prabang style of architecture. The front gable ends are richly decorated with intricate gold designs on red ochre background. The columns are a rich lacquer-like black with gold stenciling.
Inside is rather dark and atmospheric. The walls and columns are also black with gold stencil, and the beams are red ochre with more gold stencils. A large Buddha image smiles benevolently down on all visitors. The outside of the back wall of the sim is decorated with brightly colored mirrored tiles in a mosaic representing the golden tree of life, after which the temple is named. Next to the sim is a small wiharn housing a reclining Buddha image. The statue dates from the temple's founding, and is much revered by locals. The walls are inlaid with many small gilded amulets, and the ceiling is also stenciled in gold on black. Behind the sim are many chedis, as well as a small library also decorated with a beautiful mirrored tile mosaic.
The Royal Palace Museum is perfectly framed by an avenue of tall palm trees and was built upon the splendor of the Lao kingdom in 1904 during the reign of King Sisavang Vong. This was the place where the king and his family hosted their official functions and welcomed foreign visitors to the country. After 1975 when the country had a new government, the palace was then converted to a national museum and opened to public. This palace is a wonderful structure with a blend of both Lao and French architecture. The best way to experience this remarkable site is by entering through Italian marble steps in front of the building. Directly above the entrance you can see a three-headed elephant sheltered by the sacred white parasol, the symbol of the Lao monarchy. Shoes off and no cameras allowed but you get to see a variety of royal religious objects on display including gifts presented from many countries including Australia!. Outside in the palace gardens, there is a statue of King Sisavang Vong, a lotus pond, two cannons at the entrance and the royal barge shelter.
Back on the bus we headed out of town to embark on another highlight of the tour - Kuang Si falls is a beautiful spot situated 32km south of Luang Prabang. It has a wide, many-tiered waterfall flowing over limestone formations into a series of fresh cool, turquoise pools and surrounded by thick banks of green and colorful vegetation on either side. There are several beautiful swimming holes around, with the most amazing green colored water. The trails around the falls are quite well maintained, so you can climb up to the highest point and view the stream that feeds to the falls. Before jumping in for a swim we had a delightful picnic lunch sitting by the waters edge with the forest in the background. We also got to vist the bear santuary and see the black asiatic bears.
Tat Kuang Si Bear Rescue Centre was established by Free The Bears Fund Inc. in 2003 after local authorities confiscated three bear cubs and asked for assistance to help look after them. The rescue centre has continued to provide care for these bears and also accepted further bears that have been confiscated by the Lao authorities. Most of the bears at the centre are Asiatic Black Bears (Moon Bears) that were illegally captured from the wild as young cubs – it is likely that they were destined for use in the traditional medicine trade. In April 2009 the centre welcomed its first Malayan Sun Bear – a young male who has been named Tassie(!!!) after he was confiscated from a Bile Farm.
With more than 30 temples in this small town it could be difficult to pick which ones to see so we were lucky to have our wonderful guide Khamla to pick two very different temples to give us a taste of Lao temple life. Wat Wisunlat is a curious shape, resembling a giant watermelon, hence its Lao nickname of That Makmo. also we were able to take some photos inside which gave us a rare opportunity to remember and share the interior with others.
Despite a full day of sightseeing it was still time to hit the night market. I was lucky enough to also have the opportunity to catch up with one of my fellow travellers from my Tibet trip last October. She joined in with our group for a wonderful dinner and now fully revived we hit the market for some haggling - mainly by me!!- and all amanged to head home with a bargain or 2 or 3......
We then walked slowly back to our hotel for breakfast meandering along the Nam River admiring the architecture of the town before heading out to see more of the the sights of Luang Prabang. We seem to have a packed day of sightseeing but still hoping to have the energy to hit the night market.
First stop is Wat Xieng Thong and what a magnificent temple it is. At the 'tip' of town, where the Khan flows into the Mekong, is one of the city's oldest and most important temples, Wat Xieng Thong ('Golden Tree'). The temple's sim (ordination hall) was built in 1560. The temple was spared destruction by the Black Flag Haw invasion of the late nineteenth century and so is one of the few temples that has been in continuous use since its founding. The sim's sweeping roofs are considered the definition of the Luang Prabang style of architecture. The front gable ends are richly decorated with intricate gold designs on red ochre background. The columns are a rich lacquer-like black with gold stenciling.
Inside is rather dark and atmospheric. The walls and columns are also black with gold stencil, and the beams are red ochre with more gold stencils. A large Buddha image smiles benevolently down on all visitors. The outside of the back wall of the sim is decorated with brightly colored mirrored tiles in a mosaic representing the golden tree of life, after which the temple is named. Next to the sim is a small wiharn housing a reclining Buddha image. The statue dates from the temple's founding, and is much revered by locals. The walls are inlaid with many small gilded amulets, and the ceiling is also stenciled in gold on black. Behind the sim are many chedis, as well as a small library also decorated with a beautiful mirrored tile mosaic.
The Royal Palace Museum is perfectly framed by an avenue of tall palm trees and was built upon the splendor of the Lao kingdom in 1904 during the reign of King Sisavang Vong. This was the place where the king and his family hosted their official functions and welcomed foreign visitors to the country. After 1975 when the country had a new government, the palace was then converted to a national museum and opened to public. This palace is a wonderful structure with a blend of both Lao and French architecture. The best way to experience this remarkable site is by entering through Italian marble steps in front of the building. Directly above the entrance you can see a three-headed elephant sheltered by the sacred white parasol, the symbol of the Lao monarchy. Shoes off and no cameras allowed but you get to see a variety of royal religious objects on display including gifts presented from many countries including Australia!. Outside in the palace gardens, there is a statue of King Sisavang Vong, a lotus pond, two cannons at the entrance and the royal barge shelter.
Back on the bus we headed out of town to embark on another highlight of the tour - Kuang Si falls is a beautiful spot situated 32km south of Luang Prabang. It has a wide, many-tiered waterfall flowing over limestone formations into a series of fresh cool, turquoise pools and surrounded by thick banks of green and colorful vegetation on either side. There are several beautiful swimming holes around, with the most amazing green colored water. The trails around the falls are quite well maintained, so you can climb up to the highest point and view the stream that feeds to the falls. Before jumping in for a swim we had a delightful picnic lunch sitting by the waters edge with the forest in the background. We also got to vist the bear santuary and see the black asiatic bears.
Tat Kuang Si Bear Rescue Centre was established by Free The Bears Fund Inc. in 2003 after local authorities confiscated three bear cubs and asked for assistance to help look after them. The rescue centre has continued to provide care for these bears and also accepted further bears that have been confiscated by the Lao authorities. Most of the bears at the centre are Asiatic Black Bears (Moon Bears) that were illegally captured from the wild as young cubs – it is likely that they were destined for use in the traditional medicine trade. In April 2009 the centre welcomed its first Malayan Sun Bear – a young male who has been named Tassie(!!!) after he was confiscated from a Bile Farm.
With more than 30 temples in this small town it could be difficult to pick which ones to see so we were lucky to have our wonderful guide Khamla to pick two very different temples to give us a taste of Lao temple life. Wat Wisunlat is a curious shape, resembling a giant watermelon, hence its Lao nickname of That Makmo. also we were able to take some photos inside which gave us a rare opportunity to remember and share the interior with others.
Despite a full day of sightseeing it was still time to hit the night market. I was lucky enough to also have the opportunity to catch up with one of my fellow travellers from my Tibet trip last October. She joined in with our group for a wonderful dinner and now fully revived we hit the market for some haggling - mainly by me!!- and all amanged to head home with a bargain or 2 or 3......
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