Fodor's Expert Review Royal Palace

Luang Prabang Castle/Palace

In a walled compound at the foot of Phou Si Hill stands this palace, the former home of the royal family. Built by the French at the beginning of the 20th century, the palace served as the royal residence until the Pathet Lao took over Laos in 1975 and exiled King Savang Vatthana, Queen Khamphoui, and Crown Prince Vong Savang to a remote region of the country (their fate has never been fully confirmed). It still has the feel of a large family home—a maze of teak-floor rooms surprisingly modest in scale. The largest of them is the Throne Room, with its gilded furniture, colorful mosaic-covered walls, and display cases filled with rare Buddha images, royal regalia, and other priceless artifacts.

The walls of the King's Reception Room are decorated with scenes of traditional Lao life painted in 1930 by the French artist Alix de Fautereau. The Queen's Reception Room contains a collection of royal portraits by the Russian artist Ilya Glazunov. The room also has cabinets full of presents... READ MORE

In a walled compound at the foot of Phou Si Hill stands this palace, the former home of the royal family. Built by the French at the beginning of the 20th century, the palace served as the royal residence until the Pathet Lao took over Laos in 1975 and exiled King Savang Vatthana, Queen Khamphoui, and Crown Prince Vong Savang to a remote region of the country (their fate has never been fully confirmed). It still has the feel of a large family home—a maze of teak-floor rooms surprisingly modest in scale. The largest of them is the Throne Room, with its gilded furniture, colorful mosaic-covered walls, and display cases filled with rare Buddha images, royal regalia, and other priceless artifacts.

The walls of the King's Reception Room are decorated with scenes of traditional Lao life painted in 1930 by the French artist Alix de Fautereau. The Queen's Reception Room contains a collection of royal portraits by the Russian artist Ilya Glazunov. The room also has cabinets full of presents given to the royal couple by visiting heads of state; a model moon lander and a piece of moon rock from U.S. president Richard Nixon share shelf space with an exquisite Sèvres tea set presented by French president Charles de Gaulle and fine porcelain teacups from Chinese leader Mao Tse-tung. Other exhibits in this eclectic collection include friezes removed from local temples, Khmer drums, and elephant tusks with carved images of the Buddha.

The museum's most prized exhibit is the Prabang, a gold image of the Buddha slightly less than 3 feet tall and weighing more than 100 pounds. Its history goes back to the 1st century when it was cast in Sri Lanka; it was brought to Luang Prabang from Cambodia in 1359 as a gift to King Fa Ngum. This event is celebrated as the introduction of Buddhism as an official religion to Laos, and the Prabang is venerated as the protector of the faith and the most important Buddha image in the country. An ornate temple called Haw Prabang, near the entrance to the palace compound, has been constructed to house the image.

Tucked away behind the palace is a crumbling wooden garage that houses the aging royal fleet of automobiles, including an Edsel. You'll need about two hours to work through the Royal Palace's maze of rooms.

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Castle/Palace

Quick Facts

Sisavangvong Rd.
Luang Prabang, Louangphabang  Laos

071-212470

Sight Details:
Rate Includes: 30,000 kip

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