National Museum

The former Royal Palace, which is now a museum, used to be the residence of the kings of Luang Prabang. It was built in 1904 during the French colonial era, for King Sisavangvong and his family. The site for the palace was chosen so that official visitors to Luang Prabang could disembark from their river voyages directly below the palace and be received there. This is where the Pra Bang is kept, after which the city is named. Inside you will see a large collection of antique Buddhas from the 15^th and 16^th centuries, large bronze drums, elephant tusks, golden artefacts and royal swords. The walls and the ceiling of the Throne Room are decorated with glass mosaics, and in other rooms, mural paintings depict daily life in Luang Prabang during the old regime. On the museum grounds, stand also a temple and a cultural hall, where the Royal Ballet Theatre performs traditional dances and plays scenes of the Ramayana epic.