Saturday, July 16, 2011

Mount Phou Si

Luang Prabang, 7/15/11

Right before we all depart, Chris, Jen, and I climb up 300 ft of stairs to reach Wat Chom Si, a large golden shrine at top of the unfortunately named Mount Phou Si. The mountain is right in the center of Luang Prabang's Old Town, on a peninsula bordered by the Mekong and Nam Khang Rivers. On the way up, we pass Wat Tham Phou Si, a collection of small Buddhist temples and shrines, including one in a dark cave. The stairs to the summit are decorated with ferocious black dragon sculptures and golden Buddha statues.

 


Wat Chom Si offers stunning 360-views of Luang Prabang and the bordering rivers. In the foreground, we can see the city's French colonial architecture: Small houses with auburn and brown triangular tiled roofs. And beyond we can see the mountains and forest that surround the city along with small golden temples hidden within their shadows.












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