Alms Round in Luang Prabang

[Richard Barrow]

I was at the alms round in Luang Prabang this morning. Although it is still good, it is increasingly becoming a sideshow for the benefit of tourists. Certainly they outnumber the locals. I read somewhere that at one stage there were dwindling numbers of monks but the government insisted on it continuing because it is such a tourist attraction. But is this right?

Here are a couple of my pictures. More will be posted on my blog tomorrow at thai-blogs.com.

The picture on the left shows the large number of tourists coming to watch and take pictures. Many more tourists and tour bus behind me. The picture on the right is another small village where I was virtually alone. The tour buses all go to the same spot, just make sure you go elsewhere!

[Betti]

Richard, the version I read was that tourists started to buy stuff from local people to give to the monks. some locals gave up giving alms, instead they focused on selling food, including a few sellers with moral problems, who started to sell food that had gone off to the tourists. receiving this and eating it, monks became sick and some refused to go on alms rounds or eat the food they got. so, the government threatened to dress up lay people as monks so that the show could go on. hearing this, the monks agreed to continue. - don't know if it's true, don't know where I read it (in Luang Prabang? on the net?) but I remember the source / format looked genuine and I believed it.

[Richard Barrow]

I have just posted my blog on the Morning alms round in Luang Prabang.