Luang Prabang - Laos

In January Ana has been to Cambodia and in February she has been to the amazing Laos. She sent me the 1st card and the other was sent by Verena a couple of years ago.  

Town Of Luang Prabang is a World Heritage Site since 1995.

Luang Prabang is located in northern Laos at the heart of a mountainous region. The town is built on a peninsula formed by the Mekong and the Nam Khan River. 

Luang Prabang is exceptional for both its rich architectural and artistic heritage that reflects the fusion of Lao traditional urban architecture with that of the colonial era. Its remarkably well-preserved townscape reflects the alliance of these two distinct cultural traditions. - in: http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/479

Photography: Song Phonepaseuth

On the grounds of the Royal Palace Museum is the Haw Pha Bang, one of Luang Prabang’s most attractive monuments. A very ornate temple, the Haw Pha Bang which translates to “Royal temple” is also known as the Wat Ho Pha Bang. It was built to house Laos’ most sacred Buddha image.

Although the temple appears old at first glance, it is a fairly new structure completed in 2006, built in traditional Laos style. Construction of the temple started in 1963. The works were halted when the communist Pathet Lao party came to power and resumed in the 1990’s.

The very ornate structure with extensive glass and gold decoration is set on a multi level raised platform. Its multi tiered roof is adorned with stylized Naga finials at the roof’s ends. At the center top of the roof is a “Dok so faa”, an ornamental element consisting of 17 spires found on many Laos temples. The very ornate wooden front façade is carved with Buddhist depictions in green and gold colors. Stairways with multi headed mythological Naga serpents lead to the entrance, the body of the snake extending all across the balustrades. Inside the Haw Pha Bang is a large, very elaborate gilded alter where the Phra Bang Buddha image is to be enshrined. - in: https://www.renown-travel.com/laos/temples/haw-pha-bang.html

Wat Phou - Laos

Beside the Algeria card, Verena also gave me 2 unesco cards from Laos. This card with the Wat Phou is on the UNESCO list under the name Vat Phou and Associated Ancient Settlements within the Champasak Cultural Landscape.

"Wat Phou is a ruined Khmer temple complex in southern Laos. It is located at the base of mount Phu Kao, some 6 km from the Mekong River in Champasak province. There was a temple on the site as early as the 5th century, but the surviving structures date from the 11th to 13th centuries. The temple has a unique structure, in which the elements lead to a shrine where a linga was bathed in water from a mountain spring. The site later became a centre of Theravada Budhist worship, which it remains today." - in: wikipedia

New cards, new places

Last tuesday i've received these 2 wonderful cards. They're not only beautiful but also from a new country and a new whs. This was only possible thanks to a private trade with Tham from Thailand. Thank you so much :)

This is a card from Laos' capital city Vientiane. On the card Lao buddhists pay respect to Phra Thad Luang at Thad Luang Festival.
"Pha That Luang (Great Stupa in Lao) is a Buddhist stupa. It was built in the 16th century under King Setthathirat on the ruins of an earlier 13th century Khmer temple. Relics of The Buddha are said to be contained here.
Pha That Luang was destroyed by the Thai invasion in 1828, which was heavily damaged and left abandon. A French explorer and architect came across the abandoned temple and made detailed sketches of the temple. It was not until 1900, when the French restored to its original design. The architecture of the building includes many references to Lao culture and identity, and so has become a symbol of Lao nationalism." - in: wikipedia

"The Sukhothai Historical Park covers the ruins of Sukhothai, capital of the Sukhothai kingdom in the 13th and 14th centuries, in what is now the north of Thailand.

The city walls form a rectangle about 2 km east-west by 1.6 km north-south. There are 193 ruins on 70 square kilometers of land. There is a gate in the centre of each wall. Inside are the remains of the royal palace and twenty-six temples, the largest being Wat Mahathat. The park sees thousands of visitors each year, who marvel at the ancient Buddha figures, palace buildings and ruined temples. The park is easily toured by bicycle or even on foot.
On December 12, 1991, it was declared a World Heritage Site, together with the associated historic parks in Kamphaeng Phet and Si Satchanalai." - in: wikipedia