Luang Prabang province

Coordinates: 20°13′N 102°37′E / 20.21°N 102.62°E / 20.21; 102.62
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Luang Prabang Province
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Luang Prabang province
ແຂວງຫລວງພະບາງ
UTC+7 (ICT)
ISO 3166 codeLA-LP
HDI (2017)Increase 0.568[1]
medium · 11th
Official nameTown of Luang Prabang
CriteriaCultural: (ii)(iv)(v)
Reference479bis
Inscription1995 (19th Session)
Extensions2013
Area820 ha (2,000 acres)
Buffer zone12,560 ha (31,000 acres)
This article contains
Lao script
.

Luang Prabang (also Louangphabang,

French colonial influences during the 19th and 20th centuries. The province has 12 districts. The Royal Palace, the national museum in the capital city, and the Phou Loei Protected Reserve are important sites. Notable temples in the province are the Wat Xieng Thong, Wat Wisunarat, Wat Sen, Wat Xieng Muan, and Wat Manorom. The Lao New Year
is celebrated in April as The Bun Pi Mai.

History

Khmer empire's northward expansion under Indravarman I (r. 877–889).[2]

The Khmers founded an outpost at

Siamese administrative system of the 7th century. The territory experienced a brief period of Khmer suzerainty under Jayavarman VII from 1185 to 1191.[4] After the town became the center of a localized kingdom in the 13th century, it became known by the Tai name Xieng Dong Xieng Thong,[3] which in 1353 became the capital of Lan Xang. The capital was moved in 1560 by King Setthathirath I to Vientiane, at which time, Xieng Dong Xieng Thong was renamed Luang Prabang, meaning "City of the Lord (Buddha) of Fine Gold", in recognition of the Phra Bang gift received centuries earlier.[3]

After Lan Xang had troubles in 1707, Luang Prabang became the capital of the independent

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. In 1941, following the Franco-Thai War, Thailand occupied part of the province, which was named Lan Chang province. On 9 March 1945, independence was declared for Laos, and Luang Prabang was the capital. Colonel Hans Imfeld, commissioner of the French Republic, entered Luang Prabang on 25 August 1945 with a party of Franco-Laotian guerrillas and received assurances from the king that the protectorate was still in force.[5]
After the Washington Accord of 1946, the Thai government ceded the annexed territories of Luang Prabang and Sainyabuli provinces back to Laos.[6]

Geography

Luang Prabang province, one of the provinces of Laos,

Mekong River, flowing south along the west side of the city, and the Nam Khan, a tributary of the Mekong that flows from the east but angles north just before the confluence 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 Buddhists as well as tourists.[10][11] In the center of the peninsula is a hill, Phousi, which despite the constrained scale of the city, is 150 metres (490 ft) high. Stairs lead to a shrine and an overlook of the city and the rivers.[12][13]

Protected areas

The 60,070 hectare Phou Louey

avifauna include beautiful nuthatch Sitta formosa, Blyth's kingfisher Alcedo hercules, rufous-necked hornbill Aceros nipalensis, and yellow-vented warbler Phylloscopus cantator.[14]

The Phou Loei Protected Reserve (PLI) encompassing an area of 1,465 square kilometres (566 sq mi), lies in Luang Prabang and Houaphanh provinces. It was established in 1993. Its topography is rugged highlands with elevations ranging between 500–2,257 metres (1,640–7,405 ft). It is drained by the Nam Khan and Nam Xuang Rivers, which flow primarily to the southwest. The reserve is 87% forested, mixed deciduous and evergreens with an abundance of

grasslands resulting from shifting cultivation. Fauna in the reserve are mainly clouded leopard, tiger
, and leopard, and large cats which are endemic to Indochina. Route 7 and Route 1 are the roads leading to the reserve; the former from Phonsavan and the latter from Meuang Hiam, while its northern area has a seasonal road; access is also available from Luang Prabang.[15][16]

Administrative divisions

Left: Gilded carved wood above main door of the Golden Stupa. Right: Buddha statues at Wat Wisunarat

The province is made up of the following 12 districts:[8]

Map Code Name Lao script Population (2015)
6-01
Luang Prabang District
 ເມືອງຫຼວງພະບາງ 90,313
6-02
Xiengngeun District
 ເມືອງຊຽງເງິນ 33,395
6-03
Nane District
 ເມືອງນານ 28,130
6-04
Pak Ou District
 ເມືອງປາກອູ 25,823
6-05
Nam Bak District
 ເມືອງນ້ຳບາກ 68,863
6-06
Ngoy District
 ເມືອງງອຍ 29,692
6-07
Pak Seng District
 ເມືອງປາກແຊງ 22,159
6-08
Phonxay District
 ເມືອງໂພນໄຊ 32,577
6-09
Chomphet District
 ເມືອງຈອມເພັດ 30,076
6-10
Viengkham District
 ເມືອງວຽງຄຳ 28,557
6-11
Phoukhoune District
 ເມືອງພູຄູນ 23,211
6-12
Phonthong District
 ເມືອງໂພນທອງ 19,093

Demographics

The population of the province as of the March 2015 census was 431,889.[17]

Economy

The self-financed [citation needed]OckPopTok weaving centre and textile gallery is based in Luang Prabang. It designs and produces textiles and handicrafts. It was established as a partner of the Lao Women's Union and other rural communities of artisans. OckPopTok provides jobs for almost 200 people. [citation needed] [18]

Landmarks

Luang Prabang
Haw Kham Royal Palace

The capital city of Luang Prabang is the most notable landmark of the province and became a World Heritage Site in 1995.[10][11] According to a legend, Buddha visited this place and predicted that it would become a rich and prosperous city. It was in the following centuries that it became the capital of the Kingdom of Lan Xang, and the centre of Buddhism. The city developed with royal administrative complexes amidst temples and monasteries.[10][11]

The National Museum, built in 1904, has exhibits of royal religious artifacts in the entrance hall, as well as a rock from the Moon. Of particular importance is the 14th century gold Phra Bang which has rendered its name to the province.[8]

Temples

The monks' alms procession at dawn includes receiving sticky rice.

There are several landmark temples in the provincial capital city. Wat Wisunarat has a watermelon-shaped stupa, while Wat Xieng Muan has a Buddhist art school.

Buddha.[20]

Wat Xieng Thong temple, in typical Laotian architecture, was built in the 16th century (1559–1560) during the reign of King Saysetthathirath, at the confluence of the Mekong and Nam Khan rivers. Its notability within the country and in Asia is credited to its Buddhist art and architecture. An artifact of funerary nature kept in the temple complex is a richly carved and gilded funeral vehicle of the former king, and also the remains of King Sisavangvon. Royal ceremonies were held here until 1975.[8][21] The wat has carved gilded, wooden doors which depict scenes from Buddha's life. The ceiling in the sim displays Dharmachakras, dharma wheels symbolising Buddhist law and the circle of reincarnation. The outer walls of the sim depict Lao legends, and the rear gable is decorated with a glass mosaic depicting the tree of life. The outer walls of the Sanctuary of the Reclining Buddha, also known as the Red Chapel, are decorated with mosaics.[21]

Culture

The Vun Pi Mai festival occurs in April to celebrate the Lao New Year. The celebration includes Tak Bat, monks' alms procession, which passes by the Wat Ho Siang.[22] The Royal Lao Ballet performs at the Phrolak-Phralam Theatre on the Royal Palace Grounds in the provincial capital.[23]

References

  1. ^ "Sub-national HDI - Area Database - Global Data Lab". hdi.globaldatalab.org. Retrieved 2018-09-13.
  2. ^ a b c d e Savada 1995, p. 7.
  3. ^ a b c d Ring, Watson & Schellinger 2012, p. 530.
  4. ^ Ray 2009, p. 33.
  5. ^ Savada, Andrea Matles (editor) (1994) "Events in 1945" A Country Study: Laos Federal Research Division, Library of Congress
  6. ^ Paul Lévy, Histoire du Laos, PUF, 1974, p.89-90
  7. ^ "Home". Regions. Official website of Laos Tourism. Archived from the original on 11 January 2013. Retrieved 7 January 2013.
  8. ^ a b c d "Luang Prabang province, the world Heritage City". Lao Tourism Organization. Archived from the original on 5 June 2013. Retrieved 1 December 2012.
  9. ^ Maps (Map). Google Maps.
  10. ^ a b c "Town of Luang Prabang". UNESCO. Retrieved 8 December 2012.
  11. ^ a b c "World Hewritrage List Luang Prabang N0735: Evaluation" (PDF). UNESCO.org. Retrieved 8 December 2012.
  12. ^ Cavendish 2007, p. 809.
  13. ISBN 978-0-470-61583-6
    . Retrieved 3 January 2013.
  14. ^ "Important Bird Areas factsheet: Phou Louey". BirdLife International. 2012. Retrieved 6 December 2012.
  15. ^ "Phou Loei". Official Website of Ecotourism Organization. Archived from the original on 7 June 2013. Retrieved 8 December 2012.
  16. ^ "Phou Loei (PLI; 4)". Official web site of Eco Tourism Organization. Archived from the original on 22 November 2010. Retrieved 8 December 2012.
  17. ^ "Provinces of Laos". Statoids.com. Retrieved 8 November 2012.
  18. ^ "Luang Prabang Shopping". The New York Times. Retrieved 8 December 2012.
  19. ^ Burke & Vaisutis 2007, p. 25.
  20. ^ Bush, Elliot & Ray 2010, p. 156.
  21. ^ a b Cavendish 2007, p. 798-799.
  22. ^ Bush, Elliot & Ray 2010, pp. 155, 159.
  23. ^ Bush, Elliot & Ray 2010, pp. 167.

Sources

External links

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