Back In Time

In sleepy Luang Prabang, age-old traditions continue to thrive, even as more people begin to discover the Jewel of the Mekong. 

- Sharon Lim

It’s 5.30am and we’re kneeling on the pavement just outside the main gate of the Amantaka resort, cradling woven wicker baskets warm with freshly-cooked sticky rice in our laps. Sunrise is minutes away. Soon, Luang Prabang’s saffron-robed monks will emerge from their temples and begin their daily procession along the streets of this sleepy town, and we will fill each of their bowls with alms – balls of sticky rice.

But this is not seen as an act of charity on our part. Rather, it’s a blessing from the monks that allows the giver to benefit spiritually from giving. Unfortunately, “some tourists put in biscuits, sweets, and even cigarettes”, says “Nit” Nithakhong Somsanit, Amantaka’s cultural advisor and a prominent activist in the preservation of Laotian traditions and arts. “This is wrong. Tourism brings in income, but it is taking over our culture.”

Luang Prabang, the ancient capital of Laos and a UNESCO World Heritage site since 1995, is poised for a tourism boom. Arrivals are slated to increase by 16 per cent annually, and according to a 2015 report in The Laotian Times, an estimated 600,000 people visited the city in 2016. Singapore carrier Silk Air has increased the number of direct flights between Singapore and Laos – the only land-locked country in Southeast Asia. There are now three flights weekly to Luang Prabang from Singapore via Vientiane, and directly back to Singapore from Luang Prabang. Previously, only Lao Airlines served direct routes between the two.