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 current population of the city is about
22,000.
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.
History
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.
Map of Laos showing the location of Luang Prabang
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.
Buddhist Temple at Haw Kham (Royal Palace) complex.
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
Sights
Luangphabang seen from right bank of Mekong (montage)
Transportation
Luang Prabang is served by Luang Prabang International Airport
with non-stop flights to
Luang Prabang is linked by road to:
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.
Miscellaneous
A street market in
Luang Prabang.
The late folk singer Dave Van Ronk named his infamous and sardonic anti-war song Luang
Prabang[1], 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, seen here at [2].
China has recently allowed its citizens to travel more freely to Laos. As such, Chinese tourists are expected to account for
25% 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. [3]
See also
External links
Wikimedia Commons has media related to:
Coordinates:
19°53′N,
102°08′E
This entry is from Wikipedia, the leading user-contributed encyclopedia. It may not have been reviewed by professional editors (see full disclaimer)
