Laotian village's timeless beauty, quiet charms entice travelers

Buddhist statues and a colored glass mosaic at Wat Xieng Thong, the Temple of the Golden City, in the UNESCO World Heritage-designated town of Luang Prabang, Laos / Gettyimages

Before pandemic, tourists outnumbered locals at UNESCO World Heritage site Luang Prabang

By Lee Hae-rin

LUANG PRABANG ― "Here. This is an example of why the town of Luang Prabang was designated as a UNESCO World Heritage site: a sublime juxtaposition of Laotian traditional architecture with a Western touch from the colonial era," said Seo Jeong-seog, a veteran tour guide who has lived in Laos for 10 years. He pointed at the exterior facade of Wat Xieng Thong, or the Temple of the Golden City, one of the largest and most magnificent Buddhist temples in the region.

"This colored glass mosaic in the shape of the Buddhist Tree of Life is one of the most famous and enchanting features of this temple. The European technique from the Gothic era is fused in traditional Laotian architecture and tells of the local way of life," Seo said. Created in 1960 by a Lao craftsman, the tree portrays the tale of the temple's legendary founding.

Next to the facade were highly ornate chapels with red, orange and golden walls that also featured colored glass mosaics, illustrating the religious activities and daily lives of the Laotian people.

Seen is the exterior of Wat Xieng Thong, the Temple of the Golden City in Luang Prabang, Laos. The temple features a rich fusion of traditional Laotian architecture and urban styles from the European colonial occupation. Gettyimages

Luang Prabang is a small village at the heart of the northern mountainous regions of the Southeast Asian landlocked country of Laos, along the Mekong and Nam Khan Rivers. The former royal capital offers a quiet charm that differentiates it from busier neighboring travel destinations in Thailand and Vietnam. It also is home to eight distinct ethnic groups.

The entire town was designated as a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1995 for featuring an exceptional and well-preserved fusion of Laotian traditional architecture and 19th- and 20th-century European colonial styles. Following the establishment of the French Protectorate in 1893, Luang Prabang served as the country's royal and religious capital until its current capital, Vientiane, became the administrative capital in 1946 after independence.

The town is so exceptionally well preserved that it gives a sense of "time traveling" to visitors, according to Lee Yo-han, a research professor at the Korea Institute for ASEAN Studies of Busan University of Foreign Studies, who studies the country and headed the Korea-Laos Friendship Association from 2008 to 2012 during Korea's official development assistance (ODA) project to build Souphanouvong National University in Luang Prabang.

"What you see in Luang Prabang today hasn't changed much from what its records show from 100-year-old photographs," Lee told The Korea Times in a recent interview. "That's why many say it's 'where time stops,'" he said.

The rustic town may not have any gigantic historical sites like Cambodia's Angkor Wat or grand natural scenery, but it has remarkably preserved its artistic heritage that reflects the alliance of two distinct cultural traditions in harmony with its surrounding nature, offering mystic and serene charms. As it is a UNESCO World Heritage site, the construction of tall buildings is limited in its territorial planning regulations.

Due to its serene natural surroundings, the town was named one of the world's top five spots for slow travel by National Geographic this year, along with the Dodecanese Islands in Greece, Ghana, Milwaukee in the U.S. state of Wisconsin and the Canadian province of Alberta. "Slow travel" refers to a way of traveling with an emphasis on first-hand interactions with local people and culture.

This photo taken on Nov. 17 shows the town and surrounding landscape of Luang Prabang, a UNESCO World Heritage site in the Southeast Asian nation of Laos. Courtesy of Korea Airports Corp.

Before the COVID-19 pandemic, the region was a popular travel spot that saw an annual average of over 700,000 tourists ― outnumbering its local population of around 400,000. When the region reached its tourism peak in 2019, Korea ranked third among the nationalities of foreign visitors, after only China and neighboring Thailand, according to the Laotian Ministry of Information, Culture and Tourism's Tourism Development Department.

The town's popularity among Korean visitors was largely due to "Youth over Flowers," tvN's famous travel variety program aired in 2014. Professor Lee as well as Kim Ji-young, a 64-year-old Korean restaurant owner who has resided in Luang Prabang for 10 years, shared their impressions of the town's popularity.

"Now we only have four staff members, but when we had a lot of visitors before the pandemic hit, we had 12 to 15 servers. There were so many tour groups that we didn't have any tables for individual guests," Kim said. The town seemed familiar with Korean visitors, as many local residents working in the tourism industry that this reporter met, including the airport staff, spoke some basic Korean, while the airport's souvenir shop carried a Korean-Laotian conversation book and dictionary.

However, the number of Korean tourists plunged by 97 percent to 1,194 in 2020. The total tourist arrivals to Luang Prabang dropped to 211,490 in 2020, down by 75.4 percent compared to the pre-pandemic level of 860,035, while the country's annual tourism revenue declined from 2019's $934.7 million to $213.3 in 2020.

As the pandemic ebbs, the Laotian government seeks to restore Luang Prabang's tourism industry.

As part of its ninth five-year socioeconomic development plan between 2021 and 2025, the government seeks to attract foreign capital via Luang Prabang's tourism industry.

Foreign travelers arrive at the Luang Prabang International Airport in Laos, Nov. 16. As the COVID-19 pandemic ebbed, the region saw the arrival of over 1 million tourists in 2022 between January and September. Courtesy of Korea Airports Corp.

The provincial government of Luang Prabang and the airport authorities plan to develop and expand Luang Prabang International Airport with a private partner to accommodate growing passenger needs. Korea Airports Corp. (KAC), which operates 14 airports nationwide and has shared its airport management know-how with 17 international airports in 15 countries since 2007, is eyeing an international bid for a public-private partnership (PPP) deal with the Laotian authorities. The winner of the 200-billion-won ($150 million) project will expand and manage Luang Prabang's airport for 50 years.

Meanwhile, the opening of the Laos-China railway last December enhanced the UNESCO World Heritage site's accessibility from the Laotian capital of Vientiane and China. A 1,035-kilometer railway with trains running up to 200 kilometers per hour connects the Laotian capital to the Laotian-Chinese border town of Boten in three and a half hours and its main stops include Luang Prabang.

Local residents are seen along Sisavangvong Street in Luang Prabang, Laos, Nov. 17. Courtesy of Korea Airports Corp.

In the meantime, the small town and its residents remain serene, waiting for the return of more tourists. The region already saw over 1 million tourists this year between January and September.

"Laotians, by their nature, are sweet and decent people. They have a slow but happy way of life, which makes me happy just living close to them. That's why my husband and I have been living here for more than 10 years," Kim said, expressing hope that the resumption of tourism will revitalize the country's economy.

Professor Lee added, "The greatest charm about Laos and Luang Prabang is its people. I would say Laos is a 'country of warm smiles,' where people are always kind and warm-hearted. Any foreign traveler can feel at home and enjoy their journey at ease."