Window on Southeast Asia:
Luang Phabang: The Lao Fairy-tale City
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Speaking of dazzling, behind the main sim is the royal funerary chapel, where the ashes of some of the kings are. The front of it is done in gold with scenes from the Lao version of the Hindu epic, "Ramayana." It's only dazzling from a distance; up close it's blinding. Walking around inside is a strange experience. The royal funeral carriage is in the center, made of gold and flanked by nagas (dragons). The building is cluttered with old trunks, shelves, and cabinets in no particular order. They contain the once sacred ceremonial regalia of Lao royalty, which now just sit haphazardly and collect dust. It looks as though nothing has been moved since the Pathet Lao took over and ended the monarchy in 1975. The queen's fan sits on a shelf collecting cobwebs and old silver ornaments, and Buddhas sit in neglected glass cabinets along with other royal items.
The Royal Funerary Chapel
I spent another couple of hours exploring the many ancient and less ancient temples around the old city. In one, the sim is made in the rare Sing Khuang style, named after the province of the same name. It's the last one left in Laos. The Sing Khuang province was heavily bombed by the United States in the 1970s and all the temples of this style, except for this one, were destroyed. Near the river is the old royal palace from where the last Lao monarch, King Vatthana, abdicated in the face of the advancing Pathet Lao. It is now a museum. It contains a statue called the "Pha Bang," a gold, silver, and bronze Buddha given to the founder of the first Lao kingdom and of Luang Phabang, Fa Ngum, by the Khmers in 1359. It was given to him as a symbol of his legitimacy by the Khmer royal court that helped him come to power. And yes, the city is named for it. The throne room is quite spectacular, with colored glass murals on red walls. Any number of scenes, from the mundane to the fanciful, are displayed on the hundreds of murals that cover all four walls. Scenes of two-headed angels fighting in mid air with elaborate demons sit right next to the scene of a Lao farmer planting rice.
The Royal Palace from the sacred hill.
On the outside of the palace is a huge royal emblem, an elephant with three heads in gold on a red background, and a five-layered parasol over its head. The emblem was very common before the Communist takeover in 1975. Each of the Buddhist southeast Asian countries seem to have a mythical animal as their symbol. In Myanmar (Burma), it's an elaborately stylized golden goose, the mount of Bhrama. In Thailand it's the Garuda, a giant half human, half bird from the Ramayana that is seen on anything remotely official. In Cambodia, it's a highly stylized lion. In Laos, before the Pathet Lao overthrew the monarchy, it was the three-headed elephant, the mount upon which the Hindu god Indra rides. Today it is not seen as often.
Across from the palace is a hill regarded as holy to the Lao. They believe that a naga once lived under it. It is thickly wooded among trees and plumeria. These provided a sweet smell as I sweated up the 200 or so steps to the top in the humid tropical air. From the top, one can easily see what makes this city so special. All around it are rugged mountains and thick jungle. This city of sparkling temples, palaces, and French architecture is cut right out of this jungle and rugged terrain. No wonder its very existence has sometimes been regarded as legendary. A large gold stupa sits at the top of the sacred hill with four multi-layered gold parasols around it. It is lit up at night and is visible from many parts of the city. Being on the top of an otherwise forested hill, it seems to hover over the city.
