The sacred geography of the Indic world — every site mapped, dated, storied, and cited.
Luang Prabang, Luang Prabang · 19.8975°, 102.1431°
Built by King Setthathirath of Lan Xang on the tip of the Luang Prabang peninsula between the Mekong and the Nam Khan, this monastery served as a royal sanctuary until 1975, hosting coronations, festivals, relic veneration and a manuscript library. It escaped the sacking of the city in 1887 because the Black Flag commander had trained there as a monk and used it as his headquarters; the Tripitaka library was added in 1880 and the drum tower in 1961.
coordinates: wikipedia-2026-08-27 · sources retrieved 2026-08-26 · dynasty page: Lan Xang