The architecture of Luang Prabang is a charming blend of traditional Lao and Colonial French styles which has survived unspoilt to the present day. Being a religious centre for hundreds of years the town itself is in fact a myriad of communities or Ban, each centred around one of the numerous temples, many dating from the 18th century. Traditional wooden Lao houses are still in use together with the French colonial style houses that were built particularly in the 1920's and 1930's using a technique of wood and bamboo covered with lime. In the late 1950's and 1960's a new modern style of architecture became popular; two or even three square unadorned storeys with flat roofs and front balconies, of brick and concrete construction. By the early 1970's a more suburban American style was popular. But war and economic hardship put further change on hold for three decades, contributing to the preservation of the town's unique architectural heritage.
On 9th December 1995 Luang Prabang was inscribed as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.
Luang Prabang is an outstanding example of the fusion of traditional architecture and Lao urban structures with those built by the European colonial authorities in the 19th and 20th centuries. Its unique, remarkably well-preserved townscape illustrates a key stage in the blending of these two distinct cultural traditions. [https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/479/]
UNESCO seeks to encourage the identification, protection and preservation of cultural and natural heritage. UNESCO helps States Parties safeguard World Heritage properties by providing technical assistance and professional training ..... [and] encourage[s] the participation of the local population in the preservation of their cultural and natural heritage. [https://whc.unesco.org/en/about/]
In Luang Prabang UNESCO identified 611 civilian and religious buildings that contributed significantly to the cultural heritage of the town and which should be preserved. These can be located and identified on the interactive heritage map. The number referenced for each building in the map corresponds to the Inventory number in the original UNESCO documentation. See here.
Take this map on your tour around Luang Prabang !
This map can also be opened directly in Google Maps on your smart phone where you will also see you own location (As a blue dot).
Just click on the link below.
https://www.google.com/maps/d/edit?mid=1DAYee_LdOhIPdy-OwgPa0H5rk1JPRvc&usp=sharing
This map can also be opened directly in Google Maps on your smart phone where you will also see you own location (As a blue dot).
Just click on the link below.
https://www.google.com/maps/d/edit?mid=1DAYee_LdOhIPdy-OwgPa0H5rk1JPRvc&usp=sharing
|
How to Use the Heritage Map
To zoom in & out use the buttons in the lower left corner. Drag the map left, right, up, down to find what you want. 
|
|
There are four groupings of features in the map. Select groups to be displayed by clicking on the icon in top left hand corner.
- Civilian Buildings (With UNESCO Heritage Inventory Number) - Religious Buildings (With UNESCO Heritage Inventory Number) - Water Areas (With UNESCO Heritage Inventory Number) [Still Under Construction] - Other Places of Interest (Additional sites not listed by UNESCO but I think they are interesting) |
|
|
Click on the blue locators to open a photograph of the location. On your phone you may need to swipe to the right to reveal the photo opened on the left-hand side.
Scroll down in the window to see any information that may be included about the site or links to further information. |
|
Learn More
Interested to know more about UNESCO's work in Luang Prabang ? Follow the link to the next page to download the original documentation from UNESCO's World Heritage inscription of the town in 1995.