Description of the attraction
The Royal Palace, officially called Hau Kam, was built in 1904 during the reign of the French for King Sisawang Wong and his family. The site for the construction of this mansion was chosen so that the king's guests arriving in Luang Prabang via the Mekong could dock right outside the palace. After the death of King Sisawang Wong, Crown Prince Sawang Wattan inherited this palace. He became the last member of the royal family to own this building. In 1975, the monarchy in Laos was overthrown by the communists and the royal family was sent to the camp. The Royal Palace became the National Museum.
The complex of the Royal Palace includes several more buildings: a kitchen, a pier for the royal boat, a meeting room, a small temple. You can also find a lotus pond on the grounds of the palace. The entrance to the building of the National Museum is guarded by two cannons. Behind the conference room is a statue of King Sisawang Wong.
In the architecture of the Royal Palace, you can see the details that are traditional for Laotian buildings and for French colonial buildings. Above the entrance is an image of a three-headed elephant, protected by a sacred white umbrella - the symbol of the Lao monarchy. To the right of the entrance is the King's Reception, whose walls are decorated with frescoes painted in 1930 by the French artist Alix de Fontero. Nearby is a room where the most valuable works of art in the palace are kept, including a statue of Buddha 83 cm high and weighing about 50 kg. It is made of gold, silver and bronze in the 1st century in Sri Lanka. In 1359, this figure ended up in Laos. Rumor has it that there is a copy here, and the original is kept either in Vientiane or in Moscow. The original statue is said to have had a gold leaf over its eyes and a hole in one of the ankles.
To the left of the lobby is the secretary's reception, where paintings, silver and porcelain are presented, which were donated to Laos by delegations from Myanmar, Cambodia, Thailand, Poland, Hungary, Russia, Japan, Vietnam, China, Nepal, USA, Canada and Australia. There is also a piece of moonstone presented by diplomats from the United States.
Royal jewels are kept in the Throne Room.
