Royal Palace, Luang Prabang

Royal Palace
Haw kham
The Royal Palace in Luang Prabang
Former names	Haw Kham
General information
Type	Former Royal Residence
Architectural style	Lao and French Beaux Arts style
Location	Luang Phrabang, Laos
Current tenants	Official
Construction started	1904
Completed	1909
Owner	Lao Government
Technical details
Floor count	1

The Royal Palace (official name "Haw Kham", Lao: ຫໍຄຳ Lao pronunciation: [hɔ̌ɔ.kʰám]) in Luang Prabang, Laos, was built in 1904 during the French colonial era for King Sisavang Vong and his family. The site for the palace was chosen so that official visitors to Luang Prabang could disembark from their river voyages directly below the palace and be received there. After the death of King Sisavang Vong, the Crown Prince Savang Vatthana and his family were the last to occupy the grounds. In 1975, the monarchy was overthrown by the communists and the Royal Family were taken to re-education camps. The palace was then converted into a national museum.

On the palace grounds, there are other several buildings surrounding the palace which includes:

There is a lotus pond on the grounds and also two cannons at the entrance of the palace. Also, a statue of King Sisavang Vong stands on the ground, outside the conference hall.

The architecture of the building has a mixed of traditional Lao motifs and French Beaux Arts styles, and has been laid out in a double-cruciform shape with the entrance on one side of the lower crossbar. Above the entrance is a three-headed elephant sheltered by the sacred white parasol, the symbol of the Lao monarchy. The steps to the entrance are made of Italian marble. There are a variety of Royal religious objects on display in the large Entrance Hall.

On the right of the entrance is the King's reception room, where busts of the Luang Phrabang and, later, Lao monarchs are displayed along with two large gilded and lacquered Ramayana screens, crafted by the local artisan Thit Tanh. The room's walls are covered with murals that depict scenes from traditional Lao lifestyles, painted in 1930 by a French artist, Alix de Fauntereau. Each of the walls is intended to be viewed at a different time of day, depending on the light that enters the windows on one side of the room, which matches the time the day depicted.