“There is nothing really outstanding in Luang Prabang,” said Laurent A. Rampon, the former chief architect and director of the cultural preservation office here.
“When you look at the architecture, it is interesting but normal, very normal; the temples are a little bit rough, not refined,” said Mr. Rampon, who is now an independent architect and consultant to the city.
“What is really interesting in Luang Prabang is all that together,” he said. “It is the ambience of the city, the daily life, the temples and the monks. In Luang Prabang, when the ambience is gone, it will not be Luang Prabang any more.”
Luang Prabang was one of the most peaceful destinations I have visited thus far. It's a quite and humble town located on the banks of the Mekong and is surrounded by gorgeous moutains. And it's true, there really isn't much there, which is why we spent less than 24 hours in town. But the feeling you get when you are there is really the reason to go.
However, there were tourists everywhere. Wat Phu Si, where I took the sunset photo shown below, was swarming with tourists fighting for the perfect spot to get their perfect shot. So was the market. We didn't go to the morning alms, but I can imagine how many people would be hanging around there. (Read more about the morning alms here.)
UNESCO World Heritage Centers (WHCs) are established to preserve our cultural and natural heritage, but are they really doing more harm than good? Luang Prabang and all kinds of other WHCs are begining to lose their value to swarming crowds of tourists. Read the full NY Times article about it here.
Also featured as Lonely Planet's Thorn Tree Thread of the Day.
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