Trip to Laos 8: One-day Tour of the Ancient City of Laos

This city was once the capital of Laos. It is called "Luang Prabang," which means "the city of Phra Bang Buddha" and is also known as "Luang Phabang." It has a history of over a thousand years and is the birthplace of Theravada Buddhism in Laos. As early as 1995, it was listed as a natural and cultural heritage city by UNESCO. The bricks, tiles, sand, stones, and plants here are all protected. Next, follow me on a one-day tour of the ancient city of Laos. First stop: Royal Palace Museum. You need to make a reservation in advance to visit the palace. At 8 am Laos time (one hour later than Beijing time), you can enter the palace as the first group of visitors of the day. You can learn about the history of Laos. The palace was built in 1909 and was the residence of the first king of Laos, named Sisavang Vong. There is a statue of him on the left side of the courtyard, created by an outstanding Russian sculptor. The Buddhist temple in the palace is golden and dazzling. The main area of the palace is now the National Museum of Laos, which displays a large number of historical relics and national-level cultural relics, which are eye-opening. You are not allowed to wear strange clothes, take off your shoes, bring anything, or take photos when visiting the palace. You can only feast your eyes. Second stop: After leaving the palace, you can visit the exotic morning market and experience life as a Laotian. Although Laos is poor, it is the country with the highest happiness index. The happiness of Laotians is reflected in one word: "nothing," no illness, no pain, no disaster, and no difficulty. In my eyes, Laotians are kind and simple people. They don't sell things too "enthusiastically," which makes people feel at ease. Third stop: UXO Laos Visitor Center. After leaving the morning market, you can walk a hundred meters to the museum. During the Vietnam War, the United States bombed Laos and dropped 2.4 billion cluster bombs on this 236,000-square-kilometer land, and 80 million of them remain unexploded. The small museum shows the heinous crimes of the United States, which are outrageous. Fourth stop: "Red Prince" Memorial Park, adjacent to the UXO Laos Visitor Center (see travel notes for details). Fifth stop: Wat Xieng Thong. Built in 1650, it is the largest, most magnificent, and most exquisitely decorated building in the ancient city. I appreciate the decorations and architectural style here as if I were appreciating a work of art and marvel at the piety of the Laotian people to Buddhism. In this country where everyone believes in religion, men must be baptized by Buddhism at least once in their lives, and monks have a noble status. When queuing in public places, the notice states, "Monks first." Sixth stop: Mount Phousi, the highest point in the city and a must-see attraction for every tourist. It is more than 100 meters above sea level, with 328 steps. You can climb to the top while enjoying the fresh air and admiring the mysterious Buddha statues in various postures along the way. I have a little question: why are there dragon sculptures in Buddhist temples? I scanned them with my eyes and found that they were all odd numbers. It turns out that dragons are very spiritual creatures in Buddhism. Buddhist scriptures divide them into four categories: heavenly dragons, empty dragons, sea dragons, and land dragons, and each number has a different explanation. When you reach the top of the mountain, you can overlook the entire ancient city and enjoy the beautiful scenery! When I arrived at the sunset viewing point, it was just the moment when the sun was setting. Unfortunately, there were too many people, and I didn't capture the wonderful moment. Seventh stop: Night market. After coming down from Mount Phousi, you can go directly to the night market for some fun. It is very lively here, with mostly Chinese people and some Europeans. The only thing that makes me drool is this Indian pancake. Have a taste, and it's delicious!