The Royal Palace Building is situated on Phothisarath Road at the base of Mount Phousi near the steps to its top. The Palace was constructed by the French colonials in the first years of the 20C and the design is a mixture of French Colonial and Lao traditions. The marble steps come from Italy, the French symbol of fleurs de lis are on the columns and the Lao gold elephant is positioned above the entrance doors. All was designed to show the then theme of Lao and French togetherness in the modern world.
In 1975 the Pathet Lao dethroned the King and he and his family were sent to a camp for re-education where they all died. In 1976 the building was converted to the Museum. An understanding of these events puts one's perspectives into a sense of history and events.
There are 13 galleries. The living quarters of the former Royal Family at the rear of the Palace are as they were in the 1970's and remain untouched. They confront one with the events of the time. What is important is the Prabang [ the name sake of Luang Prabang ], which is a Buddha statue made of bronze, silver and gold weighing in excess of 120 lbs.
The Prabang is in Mon Khmer style and was brought to Laos from Angkor and the Khmer Empire in 1396. The Prabang is the most revered object in Laos, as in Thailand for the Thais is the Phra Keo Buddha now in Bangkok. Both are Buddhist countries and the Lao and Thai are related Tai tribes. As with the Phra Keo. legend has it that it came from Ceylon but its style is Mon Khmer of Cambodia.
To the right of the Entrance Hall is the King's Recption Hall in which are Dong Son drums from North Vietnam. Many objects on display are from temples in Luang Prabang and the surrounding areas.
From Wat That Mak Mo is a good collection of objects made of gold and bronze and a stele dates 1527 describing the donations then of land and money for a new monastery. The drawing of the planets on the top of the stele dates it in the classic way. Additionally there are numerous figures of Buddha and also interesting are the passenger seats for elephant travel [ called '' howdahs '' ] There are many unusual objects such as monk's alms bowels, crafted betel nut boxes, water vessels. Many of these objects are dated to the 16 C.
The out side grounds of the Palace are pleasant and the view from Mount Phousi immediately above the Palace and the Mekong River is special. To the right of the entrance gate to the Palace is the small Prabang Temple called '' Ho Prabang '' and a large statue of King Sisavangvong. Further to the left are the houses for the Royal barges. The grounds are peaceful and a setting to contemplate what once was here and how times change.
