Just down the road from the Royal Palace is Wat Mai, one of the most important royal temples in Luang Prabang, and one that you mustn’t miss when touring the historic city in Laos.
The Pra Bang Buddha, which is now housed at the Royal Palace, used to be kept here. Even though its name literally means “New Temple”, Wat Mai dates back to the 18th century, and is one of the oldest temples in the city.
The exterior of the temple is decorated in rich gilded reliefs depicting scenes from royal Lao epics, and from daily religious life in the country.
Admission to the temple costs 10,000 kip (just over $1), and the ticket cost goes towards preserving the historic temple buildings.
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