Louangphabang or Luang Phabang, commonly
transliterated into
Western languages from pre 1975 Lao spelling as Luang Prabang, literally meaning: "
Royal Buddha Image", is a city in north central
Laos, consisting of 58
adjacent villages, of which 33 comprise the
UNESCOTown Of Luang Prabang
World Heritage Site. It was listed in 1995 for unique and "remarkably" well preserved architectural, religious and cultural heritage, a blend of the rural and urban developments over several centuries, including the
French colonial influences during the 19th and 20th centuries. The centre of the city consists of 4 main roads and is located on a
peninsula at the
confluence of the
Nam Khan and
Mekong River. The town is well known for its numerous
Buddhist temples and monasteries. Every morning, hundreds of
monks from the various monasteries walk through the streets collecting
alms. One of the major landmarks in the city is mount
Phou si; a large steep hill which despite the constrained scale of the city, is 150 metres (490 ft) high; a steep staircase leads to Wat Chom Si shrine and an overlook of the city and the rivers.
The city was formerly the capital of a kingdom of the same name. It had also been known by the ancient name of Chiang Thong. It was the royal capital and seat of government of the
Kingdom of Laos, until the
communist takeover in 1975. The city is part of
Luang Prabang District of
Luang Prabang Province and is the capital and administrative centre of the province. It lies approximately 300 km (190 mi) north of the capital
Vientiane. Currently, the population of the city as a whole is roughly 56,000 inhabitants with the UNESCO protected site being inhabited by around 24,000. [Source: Wikipedia]
