via France24, 07 February 2024: Luang Prabang faces a cultural dilemma as the sacred morning alms-giving ceremony is transformed by an influx of tourists, disrupting the traditional peace of the ancient town. The local economy benefits from tourism, but at the cost of altering cultural practices and daily life. The recent surge in visitors, fueled by foreign investment and the new Chinese-funded high-speed railway, has led to changes that challenge the preservation of Luang Prabang’s serene and spiritual heritage.
The starkest example can be seen every morning along Kounxoau Road, where monks pad barefoot to collect donations of food.
What was once a simple act of communion and support between Buddhist locals and the monks has long been a draw for tourists.
Now the monks have to make their way through hundreds of visitors on plastic stools offering alms as tour guides thrust mobile phones into their faces.
For decades, Luang Prabang has seen large numbers of tourists come from all over the world to witness the morning alms-giving, but locals say the ceremony now resembles a photo shoot.
Source: ‘Destroyed the peace’: Historic Laos town grapples with tourism boom
