Laung Prabang Guest Houses
Laung
Prabang is a
place that has attracted many tourists. Some may want to see the culture, the
history, the entertainment, the sports, society and scenery of the city. Many
tourists may want to see the culture, the history and tourist attractions of the
city. Some tourists may want to see the scenery, the architecture, the culture
and tourist attractions of the city. Many may require to stay at a guesthouse
so they can have a place to see the culture and scenery of the city. They may
want to stay at a luxury or cheap guesthouse in or near the city. Some may want
a guesthouse that has a good reputation.
Luang Prabang, or Louangphrabang is a city located in north central Laos, on the Mekong River about 425 km north of Vientiane, and the capital of Louangphrabang Province.
The city was formerly the capital of a kingdom of the same name. Until the communist takeover in 1975, it was the royal capital and seat of government of the Kingdom of Laos. The city is also notable as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Luang Prabang has both natural and historical sites. Among the natural tourism sites, there are the Kuang Si Falls and Pak Ou Caves. Tourists may also ride elephants. At the end of the main street of Luang Prabang is a night market where stalls sell shirts, bracelets, tea - suitable souvenirs. The Haw Kham Royal Palace Museum and the Wat Xieng Thong temple are among the most well known historical sites.
If visitors travel two hours up the Mekong river, they can stay at the Kamu Eco lodge. Traditional Laotian activities (fishing, rice planting/harvesting, archery and gold-panning) can be tried there, as well as a visit to a model village of the Kamu people, who are originally from Cambodia.
As China has recently allowed its citizens to travel more freely to Laos, the number of tourists in the area is expected to increase rapidly, creating pressure to modernize the tourist infrastructure, particularly catering to package tourism.
Luang Prabang International Airport is one of the few international airports in Laos. The airport is located in Luang Prabang. Until it was considered a risky place to land, but Luang Prabang International Airport has been modernized.
Muang Sua was the old name of Luang Prabang following its conquest in 698 A.D. by a Tai prince, Khun Lo, who seized his opportunity when Nan-chao was engaged elsewhere. 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.
In
the second half of the 8th 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.
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 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 these 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
7th century. At some point, Theravada Buddhism was subsumed by Mahayana Buddhism.
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 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 Vien Chang, which remains the capital today.
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 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.
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
The
Mekong is one of the world’s major rivers. It is the 11th-longest river in
the world, and 7th longest in Asia. From the Tibetan Plateau it runs through China's
Yunnan province, Burma, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam. All except China
and Burma belong to the Mekong River Commission. A South Asian regional association,
Mekong-Ganga Cooperation is named after this river. The extreme seasonal variations
in flow and the presence of rapids and waterfalls have made navigation extremely
difficult.
Luang
Prabang is strikingly situated on a narrow peninsula that bisects the conjunction
of the Mekong River, flowing south along the west side of the city, and the Mae
Kok River, a tributary of the Mekong the flows from the east but angles north
just before the convergence of the two rivers. The tip of the peninsula is the
site of a wat that was frequented by the royal family when it resided there, and
is still a site of devotion for local Lao Bhuddists as well as increasingly frequent
tourists.
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