Haw Kham: Living the Royal Life in Luang Prabang

If you’re into history and art and that sort of nonsense, one of Luang Prabang’s not-to-be missed sites is Haw Kham - the royal palace...

Unlike the grand palace in Bangkok which has been around for ages, the royal palace in Luang Prabang has only been around since 1904.

During the French colonial era (1893-1954) the French decided to help build a palace, built in a combination of traditional Lao and French Beaux Arts styles, for the Lao King Sisavang Vong and his family (to look all professional and such).  The site for the palace, located a block away from the Mekong River, was chosen so official visitors to Luang Prabang could disembark from their riverboats directly below the palace and be immediately received.  After the death of King Sisavang Vong only one more royal family, that of crown Prince Savang Vatthana, occupied the palace.  In 1975, just several years after Prince Vatthana moved into the place, the monarchy was overthrown by the Pathet Lao, kicked out onto the street, and sent to re-education camps.  The palace remained closed to the public until Laos became open to tourism in the early 1990s.  In hopes of creating a tourist site, the palace was converted into a national museum in 1995.

A slightly small palace, but classy nonetheless.