Wolfgang's photos with the keyword: Pak Ou Caves

Near Pak Ou (mouth of the Ou river) the Tham Ting (lower cave) and the Tham Theung (upper cave) are not too far from Luang Prabang, Laos. They are a magnificent group of caves that are only accessible by boat, about two hours upstream from the center of Luang Prabang, and have recently become more well known and frequented by tourists.

The citizens of Luang Prabang believe that many good-natured spirits have their homes in the caves. Thus they undertake short pilgrimages there on special occasions, especially traditional New Year's Day (Song Kran).

The caves are inhabited by thousands of Buddha statues, some allegedly more than 300 years old. Monks used to live in the caves, too. When Laos was still a monarchy, the caves were visited every year by the king.

There are two levels. One cave entrance is clearly visible from the river. The higher level can be reached after climbing some stairs.

The caves are noted for their impressive Lao style Buddha sculptures assembled over the centuries by local people and pilgrims. Hundreds of mostly wooden Buddhist figures are laid out over the floors and wall shelves.