A panorama of the city from across the Mekong. Phou Si Hill marks the centre of town.
The Khan River (Nam Khan) bends around the back side of Phou Si Hill.
French colonial shop houses along the main road.
French colonial shop houses along the Mekong.
French colonial architecture
French colonial architecture
Boutique hotels tend to have the most complete renovations.
Boutique hotels tend to have the most complete renovations.
Boutique hotels tend to have the most complete renovations.
Boutique hotels tend to have the most complete renovations.
Some hotels are merely constructed to look like old colonial buildings.
Sisavangvong Road at sunset.
Sakkarine Road at sunset.
Morning on Sisavangvong Road.
Morning on Sisavangvong Road.
Sisavangvong Rd. at dusk.
Shops and restaurants along Sisavangvong Rd.
Shops
A shopkeeper on Sisavangvong Rd.
Dara Market used to be a dingy people's market, but now it caters to tourists.
Dara Market used to be a dingy people's market, but now it caters to tourists.
An elephant walking down the street in Luang Prabang.
An elephant walking down the street in Luang Prabang.
The Royal Palace Museum and Haw Pha Bang
Setting up the night market at the base of Phou Si Hill.
A tourist family checks out the architecture on Sakkarine Road.
The old bridge across the Khan River.
Wat Sensoukharam
Wat Xieng Thang
Wat Xieng Thang is probably the most important temple in Luang Prabang.
Wat Xieng Thang is well known for its murals.
Wat Xieng Thang is well known for its murals.
Inside Wat Xieng Thang
The top of Wat Chom Si at the top of Phou Si Hill.
A young girl stands outside of Wat Chom Phet.
Little treasures take time to find. There are many lanes so small that they are overlooked by tourists.
Wat That Luang
Wat Nong Sikhoummuang
Ornate temple windows
Steps from Phou Si Hill down into a large monastery.
Novice monks, looking like young philosophers, socialize inside of a monastery.
Novice monks, looking like young philosophers, socialize inside of a monastery.
Young monks walking down the street.
Every morning, the young monks parade down the streets to collect their daily alms.
A parade of monks outside of Wat Sensoukharam.
A parade of monks outside of Wat Sensoukharam.
Novice monks collecting alms
Some tourists participate in giving alms to the monks.
Monks chanting inside Wat Nong Sikhoummuang.
Monks chanting inside Wat Nong Sikhoummuang.
Monks chanting inside Wat Nong Sikhoummuang.
Monks chanting inside Wat Nong Sikhoummuang.
Sunset over the Mekong.
Many people go to observe the sunset from Phou Si Hill, but it's much better just to find a spot along the river.
With better highways being built in Laos, the number of working boats continues to diminish.
Children playing with pieces of Styrofoam in the river.
The Mekong River has long been the life vein of Luang Prabang.
Boats moored at sunset.
An agile boy decends a mooring line with his bare hands and feet.
A boat driver
Net fishing on the shores of the Mekong.
The main boat landing of Luang Prabang.
Boun Souang Heua (Boat Racing Festival) happens every October. People gather on the opposite bank of the Mekong to observe the festive boat races.
Game vendors set up shop to entertain the race observers.
A girl launches a dart at a balloon-filled wall.
Women singing songs in support of their team.
Women singing songs in support of their team.
Cheering for the boat racers at the Boat Racing Festival.
Small villages several kilometres away from Luang Prabang also hold boat races in the days leading up to Boun Ok Phansa.
A middle class family having a picnic at the boat races.
Young Laos come out to dance during the Boat Racing Festival.
Young Laos come out to dance during the Boat Racing Festival.
A young girl smiles while surrounded by the winners of this year's event.
Some novices construct paper lanterns for a festival called Boun Ok Phansa which marks the end of Buddhist Lent.
All temples display lanterns for the Ok Phansa festival.
The lanterns lit outside of Wat Nong Sikhoummuang.
Each temple also creates a fire boat to be paraded down the street and then placed on the Mekong for Boun Ok Phansa.
A dragon's head at the front of a fire boat float.
A lit fire boat on the eve of Boun Ok Phansa.
A lit dragon lantern on the night of the fire boat parade.
Children carrying lanterns in the fire boat parade.
An elaborate fire boat lantern being paraded down the street.
An elaborate fire boat lantern being paraded down the street.
Candles line the fire boat.
The parade culminates at Wat Xieng Thang before placing the boats on the Mekong.
Along with thousands of handheld banana leaf floats, the dragon boats are pushed out onto the Mekong.