Luang Prabang

I am sooo late on the english version of our blog...actually, I'm quite lazy, even on the french version!!!

Anyway, I feel I must tell you about Luang Prabang...for those who have been there it will be a good souvenir, I'm sure...for the others, maybe an incitative to go there!

Luang Prabang is a little village, nestled on a peninsula formed by the Mekong and one of its tributaries. Classified by UNESCO, it boast tranquil paved streets, lined with beautiful wooden houses, a mix of traditional and colonial architecture and, last but not least some 66 buddhist temples.

Those temples, richly decorated and hosting hundreds of monks, give a spiritual atmosphere to the city, where life is rythmed by the drums and bells of the monasteries.

View of the old city from across the Mekong River

Street atmosphere

Coming back from school...

Wat Xieng Thoung, my favourite, and the eldest temple of the city.

Full moon ceremony

Drums and cymbals at 4am and 4pm

Full moon celebrations

Monks studying their english on their day off...

Cultural hint; for the full moon celebration, some rules have to be followed; drums of all the temples play at 4am (grrrr) and 4pm, some praying, affering and chanting are carried out in the temples. No animals should be killed, no work should be done for 3 days.

Knowing that those celebrations are carried out for every moon phase (4times a month)...I leave it up to you to calculate the number of working days in Luang Prabang...yes even the french are beaten!!!

Apsara Musicians, from a temple decoration

05:53 - 9/06/2007 - Ajouter un commentaire