Tourism Threatens Historic City Known as 'Soul' of Laos
Tourism is bringing economic benefits to the Laotian city of Luang Prabang, the spiritual, religious and cultural capital of Laos for centuries. But with commercialism on the rise, some are worried the town is losing its identity.
Nestled deep in a Mekong River valley, Luang Prabang was cut-off from the outside world by decades of war and political isolation. A fusion of traditional Lao dwellings, French colonial architecture and more than 30 monasteries, the whole town was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1995. The United Nations agency described it as "the best preserved city of Southeast Asia."
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Nestled deep in a Mekong River valley, Luang Prabang was cut-off from the outside world by decades of war and political isolation. A fusion of traditional Lao dwellings, French colonial architecture and more than 30 monasteries, the whole town was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1995. The United Nations agency described it as "the best preserved city of Southeast Asia."