Heritage capital
Luang Prabang lies in the mountainous north of the little-known South East Asian nation of Laos. A former royal capital, the city sits on a peninsula where the Nam Khan tributary meets the Mekong river.
Laos' top heritage centre, the city is known for its historic architecture, beautiful setting and as a living museum of Buddhist monastic life.




source: BBC Asia-Pacific

Architecture
Inside the Old Town, a dozen ancient Buddhist monasteries stand alongside smart colonial houses built by the French and wooden Asian-style shophouses. The Old Town was listed as a World Heritage Centre by UNESCO in 1995, leading to restoration projects and a growing influx of foreign visitors.

Young monks
There are more than 30 working Buddhist monasteries in and around Luang Prabang where young novices live and study. Most novices are in their mid-to-late teens, although some are as young as 13.
Most spend only a few years in the monastery and then return home to their families.

Collecting alms
Every morning, just after dawn, the monks emerge from the monasteries. Devotees (and many tourists) line the pavements to distribute handfuls of sticky rice and other alms to the monks as they process through the city.
In the evening, as the sun sets and the smell of incense intensifies, chanting can be heard across the city as the monks offer prayers to Buddha.

Somlith
At 19, Somlith is the oldest novice in Wat Sirimoungkhoun. Joining the monastery has given him access to a high school education - something he would not have had in his village, three hours away by boat.
With his fellow novices, he gets up at 0400 to pray, then goes out to gather alms. He plans to return home in three months, when he finishes school.

Toun
Toun is one of 81 novices at Luang Prabang's most famous temple, Wat Xieng Thong. The 16-year-old spends the morning studying at the Wat and the afternoon at school. He wants to be a tour guide when he leaves the monastery in two years' time.
He likes the monastic lifestyle, he says, because it gives him a chance to study English and to meet people.

Buddha caves
Just outside Luang Prabang, hundreds of images of the Buddha sit in two caves overlooking the Mekong. These are statues that have either been damaged or replaced by newer images. Devotees come once a year to clean them.
Next to the caves is a sign of older traditions - a small red wooden house built to accommodate the displaced spirits of the caves.
(Images/text: Philippa Fogarty)