{"id":11353,"date":"2019-01-10T16:37:50","date_gmt":"2019-01-10T09:37:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.asiasafari-laos.com\/travel-to-laos-with-asia-safari-laos\/luang-prabang\/the-pak-ou-caves\/"},"modified":"2026-06-28T14:46:59","modified_gmt":"2026-06-28T07:46:59","slug":"the-pak-ou-caves","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.asiasafari-laos.com\/en\/travel-to-laos-with-asia-safari-laos\/luang-prabang\/the-pak-ou-caves\/","title":{"rendered":"The Pak Ou Caves"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Pak Ou Caves
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Have you ever heard of the Pak Ou Caves? Nestled in the heart of the karst cliffs about thirty kilometers from Luang Prabang, the two caves Tham Ting and Tham Poum house some 4,000 wooden Buddha statues. It is a pilgrimage site for the Lao people who have been depositing them for hundreds of years. <\/span><\/p>\n

Pak Ou Caves: \u0e96\u0ecd\u0ec9\u0eb2\u0e9b\u0eb2\u0e81\u0ead\u0eb9<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>

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You can reach them by boat, along the Mekong River, from Pakbeng<\/a> or Luang Prabang<\/a>. You will be dropped off at the foot of a superb limestone cliff where the caves are located. <\/p>\n

The word “Pak” in Lao refers to the confluence of two rivers (or literally the mouth) and has given its name to the towns located there. The Pak Ou Caves are therefore located at the confluence of the Nam Ou River and the Mekong. <\/p>\n

A staircase provides easy access for pilgrims and tourists. According to history, kings would come on the third day following the Lao New Year (Pimai festival) to perform the ritual of washing the Buddhas. Before becoming a pilgrimage site in the 16th century, according to local legends, the caves were inhabited by the nagas, protectors of Luang Prabang, and still retain vestiges of their divine representations on the cave walls. <\/p>\n

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