The playboy King

The imposing and colourful King of Laos, Sisavang Vong

One of the more colourful characters in the history of Laos is King Sisavang Vong, often termed the playboy King because of his penchant for the opposite sex. He fathered over fifty children by as many as fifteen wives, two of whom were his half sisters. This man had staying power in abundance. He reigned as King of Luang Prabang from 1904 until 1945 then became King of a unified Laos under the French from 1946 until his death in October 1959. One of Asia's longest-serving monarchs, he lost fourteen of his children during a boating accident on the Mekong River. The Royal Palace in Luang Prabang is now a museum, built in 1904 and housing lots of the usual relics you'd find in such a place, and is a popular stop on the tourist route. I found it pretty bland which is unusual as I am normally very fond of museums. Nevertheless its worth a 1-hour visit if you have the time, and the inclination.

The entranceway to the Royal Palace Museum in Luang Prabang

This imposing statue of King Sisavang Vong was donated by the USSR in the early 1970s and stands in the grounds of the former Royal Palace

The Wat Ho Pha Bang, in the grounds of the Palace, is a recent addition, with construction started in 1993