Between ecology, heritage and development - will Luang Prabang be able to keep its soul? - Society of Friends of the Cernuschi Museum

Between ecology, heritage and development - will Luang Prabang be able to keep its soul?

Conference by Françoise Capelle, Doctor in archeology (University Paris1).

Luang Prabang was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1995, which has had a definite impact.

Luang Prabang is the result of the meeting of an indigenous culture and the major currents from India and China. It is also the meeting and fusion between traditional architecture and urban structures designed by the colonial authorities in the 19^rd and at 20^rd centuries. Buildings were identified with a ban on destroying them and they were saved. This unique urban landscape, remarkably well preserved, blends with the beauty of the natural environment. Nestled in a loop of the Mekong (mother river or mother of waters), the city became capital of the Lao kingdom in 1353. It has managed to conserve and preserve part of its ancient traditional architecture (houses of the aristocracy, temples or monasteries) and that of the colonial era. Thus the old Customs house became the heritage house. The city being divided into districts corresponding to ancient villages, each district has its monastery. At 18^rd s. the city had no less than 65 monasteries, today only 22 remain in the protected area.

Wat Xieng Thong Temple. ©Françoise Capelle.

Heritage House. ©Françoise Capelle.

Not only has the UNESCO classification helped to safeguard the architecture, but also its environment. Indeed, nature is present everywhere and the city is a true green setting that needed to be preserved. This plant heritage is an authentic treasure listed by Francis Engelmann. A botanical garden, Pha Tad Ke, was created in 2016, which brings together all the endemic plant species of the region.

Over the years, UNESCO's doctrine has evolved and the concern to save the intangible heritage of humanity has taken on an increasingly important place with the adoption of a convention for its safeguarding in 2003. Among the benefits of the classification we can count the maintenance of the traditions of Theravada Buddhism as well as the beliefs of animist origin such as kisses ou su khuan. Laos is the country with the largest number of public holidays. All traditional festivals such as the New Year's party or the dances which punctuate daily life have been maintained. The ritual of catching the enormous Pa Beuk catfish took place every year as did the canoe racing festival.

Thanks to the classification, Luang Prabang seems to have succeeded in its transformation: the buildings and temples have been saved and the streets which were clay are now asphalted. The construction of concrete towers was banned. The network of villages has been preserved around their monasteries. The transmission of culture (music and dances) was ensured. The conservation of elephants was also taken into account, motivated by an association created by two French people. Thus, elephant caravans went up from the South to Luang Prabang (1 km). The aim was also to encourage the population to reconnect with the special links they had with elephants.

As every advantage can also have disadvantages, the influx of tourism has led to the proliferation of restaurants, cafes, bars, Scandinavian bakeries, pizzerias, souvenir shops and guest houses to meet an international demand for bigger and bigger. Motivated by the financial offer from investors, residents have left their homes and are replaced by businesses. The night market which had been created so that the local population could make a living from their crafts is invaded by Chinese junk! There is also talk of replacing a marvelous bamboo bridge which spans the Nam khan with a concrete bridge to facilitate traffic and also because it had to be rebuilt after each monsoon.

Bonze doing his devotions. ©Françoise Capelle.

Large procession on the occasion of a celebration. ©Françoise Capelle.

Cafe Restaurant. ©Françoise Capelle.

The success of the safeguarding and development operation has led to rapid economic growth and the creation of numerous jobs. Local crafts such as weaving and gold thread embroidery have been given a new lease of life and transmission has taken place. Likewise, Tiao Nithakhong Somsanhit, descendant of the viceroy, created the repertoire of all the weaving or embroidery patterns as well as the stencil patterns which are used to decorate temples. A troupe of dancers perpetuates the tradition of dances in the former imperial palace. Traditional music is also coming back to life.

But the number of tourists has experienced an explosion since there were 140 in 000, 2005 in 530, etc. until the shock caused by Covid 000.

New factors are involved in this excessive development. A change in morals has indeed taken place which has seen the creation of river cruises, karaoke and cafes on the water which invade the atmosphere with their music which is not traditional music. Everything becomes a spectacle and workshops of all kinds have been created (cooking, weaving, bamboo work, etc.). If the associations banned elephant rides, we thought of offering tourists the chance to wash them in the river.

Traditional orchestra. ©Françoise Capelle.

If the isolated geographical location of Luang Prabang had allowed it to keep its atmosphere, the Chinese, within the framework of the “New Silk Roads” policy, financed a railway line which connects Kunming to Vientiane and up to Singapore. Tourists travel during the day and goods travel at night. This line presents a huge ecological danger to the environment. It allows China to source agricultural materials and export industrial products at reduced prices. Colossal works have enabled the airport to become international, leading to an influx of tourists and the city is counting on three million tourists for 2024. A new highway connects Vientiane to Vangvieng and will continue to Luang Prabang, as well as Another axis is planned from East to West, linking Vietnam to Thailand and Burma. These threats are in addition to those of the train. Luang Prabang, which was a landlocked region, has become a real crossroads.

The construction of a new dam on the Mekong is raising serious concerns because, built 8,6 km from a seismic fault line, it poses a serious threat to Luang Prabang. This dam is the sixth in a series of nine planned on the Laotian part of the Mekong, two of which have already been commissioned to the great dismay of environmental organizations who worry about the collapse of fish stocks, because the dams are an obstacle to their migration, and the river level is particularly low in places, accusing China of altering its natural flow. The Mekong has experienced its lowest level in more than fifty years! In addition, its floods brought silt which fertilized the land; without floods, crops are very threatened.
The energy will be destined for Vietnam and Thailand because Laos aims to become the leading low-carbon energy producer in Southeast Asia. The ecological consequences will be very significant because the Mekong is already hampered by numerous dams.

If the rapid decline due to tourism and this frenzied modernization continues, the status of UNESCO could be called into question especially as Luang Prabang plans to make 2024 the Year of Tourism. It is to be hoped that, even if the fight against poverty remains essential, these modifications will not see its removal from the UNESCO World Heritage list.

Between preservation of ecology and heritage and its development, will Luang Prabang find a balance that will allow it to keep its soul?