Haw Pra Bang and the Royal Palace

Laos is an ancient country, with a history stretching back thousands of years. Long ago, the Kingdom of Luang Prabang - a contemporary of the Lanna and Ayutthaya Kingdoms - ruled what is today northern Laos. During the particularly turbulent 19th century, Luang Prabang accepted status as a French Protectorate and, along with Cambodia and Vietnam, became a constituent of French Indochina.

In 1953, the French withdrew from Southeast Asia at the end of the First Indochina War, and the newly independent Kingdom of Laos was established, continuing on the old line of the Luang Prabang monarchy. The Lao Kingdom was plagued by war and hardship, and the Royal Lao Government fell in 1975 when the Pathet Lao ousted the royalists and declared the new Marxist Lao PDR, which rules the country to this day.

Although no longer a monarchy, modern Laos is not at all antagonistic to its royal past. Instead, the country really seems to respect and revere the kings of Laos. It's not uncommon to see statues of the Laotian kings throughout the country, and the old Royal Palace has been preserved as the Luang Prabang National Museum.

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Haw Pra Bang

The city of Luang Prabang is named for the very important Buddhist relic that is said to protect the city, the "Pra Bang". Like Thailand's Emerald Buddha (called the "Pra Keao"), the Pra Bang is the symbol of the country, said to give legitimacy to the monarchy and to protect the nation from invaders. In the past, the Pra Bang was taken as loot twice by Siam (Thailand), and twice it supposedly brought disaster to the Siamese before it was returned. The Haw Phra Bang, the "House of the Pra Bang", is the Lao royal temple that sits on the grounds of the Royal Palace.

Haw Pra Bang

The Pra Bang is a standing Buddha image cast with an alloy of silver, gold, and bronze. The statue is an image of the Buddha with his arms outstretched, a symbolic image representing the power to stop floods. The image is said to have been cast in Ceylon (Sri Lanka) sometime between the 1st and 9th centuries, though historical records are hazy. Nevertheless, it's very old, very storied, and - according to the Laotian people - very powerful. It was gifted to the Kingdom of Lan Xang in 1359 by the Khmer king to celebrate the marriage of the Khmer princess and the Lan Xang king.

the royal temple of Laos

Today, the Pra Bang is stored in the Haw Phra Bang, a beautiful and ornate Theravada Buddhist temple on the grounds of the Royal Palace in Luang Prabang.

temple exterior

You can't take pictures of the Pra Bang (though you can find photos online), but you may take photos of the outside of the temple. It's beautiful - marble and gold, with lots of ornate naga serpent motifs.

golden naga on the staircase

The temple was ordered in 1963 as the proper royal home for the Pra Bang, but when the kingdom fell to communist forces in the 70s, construction was halted. The temple wasn't completed until 2006, when the Pra Bang was finally moved to its place of honor. Although the Haw Pra Bang is the symbol of Luang Prabang, and looks to be quite old, it's surprisingly new!

the temple

The Royal Palace

The Haw Pra Bang stands on the grounds of the Royal Palace of Luang Prabang, the homes of the last Lao monarchs.

a statue of the king

The Royal Palace was constructed in 1904 to celebrate the relationship between Laos and France. It's fairly small, far smaller than the Grand Palace in Bangkok, but beautiful. Architecturally, it's a very cool building, a distinct blend between European and traditional Laotian designs.

Haw Kham Royal Palace

Photography is not permitted inside the palace, though guests are free to wander and explore the remarkably well-preserved rooms. Particularly beautiful is the Throne Hall, which is decorated in elaborate mosaics. The crowns of the king and queen, the Laotian Crown Jewels, and hundreds of royal artifacts are on display inside the palace.

Interestingly, the receiving room is decorated in a beautiful mural depicting not Laotian legends or royal figures, but everyday village life throughout the kingdom.

The most impressive room to me, however, is a display of diplomatic gifts given to the Kingdom of Laos. Included among these are sculptures, paintings, the keys to the cities of Tokyo and Bangkok, and more. I may be biased, but I thought the coolest display was the tiny moonstone given to Laos by the USA after the Apollo 11 mission, along with a Kingdom of Laos flag that was carried by the astronauts to the moon.

palace walls

I had really wanted to visit the palace and National Museum before doing anything else in Luang Prabang. Admittedly, I don't know very much about Laos, so I wanted to understand a little more about the city and its past before going out to explore. After leaving the palace, I really think that it was the best way to begin our time in Luang Prabang.