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  • 12 MARCH 2016 - LUANG PRABANG, LAOS: A Buddhist monk leaves a temple's meditation hall in Luang Prabang, Laos. Laos is one of the poorest countries in Southeast Asia. Tourism and hydroelectric dams along the rivers that run through the country are driving the legal economy.       PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    DailyLifeLaos2106075.jpg
  • 12 MARCH 2016 - LUANG PRABANG, LAOS:  A man does subsistence fishing in the Nam Khan River near its confluence with the Mekong River in Luang Prabang, Laos. Laos is one of the poorest countries in Southeast Asia. Tourism and hydroelectric dams along the rivers that run through the country are driving the legal economy.      PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    DailyLifeLaos2106070.jpg
  • 11 MARCH 2016 - LUANG PRABANG, LAOS: The bamboo foot bridge across the Nam Khan River near Luang Prabang. The bridge is seasonal. Villagers put it up every year, at the at the start of the dry season and take it down when the Nam Khan floods during the rainy season.  Laos is one of the poorest countries in Southeast Asia. Tourism and hydroelectric dams along the rivers that run through the country are driving the legal economy.     PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    DailyLifeLaos2106050.jpg
  • 12 MARCH 2016 - LUANG PRABANG, LAOS:  Tourists photograph Buddhist monks during the morning tak bat in Luang Prabang. Luang Prabang was named a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1995. The move saved the city’s colonial architecture but the explosion of mass tourism has taken a toll on the city’s soul. According to one recent study, a small plot of land that sold for $8,000 three years ago now goes for $120,000. Many longtime residents are selling their homes and moving to small developments around the city. The old homes are then converted to guesthouses, restaurants and spas. The city is famous for the morning “tak bat,” or monks’ morning alms rounds. Every morning hundreds of Buddhist monks come out before dawn and walk in a silent procession through the city accepting alms from residents. Now, most of the people presenting alms to the monks are tourists, since so many Lao people have moved outside of the city center. About 50,000 people are thought to live in the Luang Prabang area, the city received more than 530,000 tourists in 2014.      PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    LuangPrabangTourism041.jpg
  • 11 MARCH 2016 - LUANG PRABANG, LAOS:  Lao sausage dries in the sun in Luang Prabang, Laos. Laos is one of the poorest countries in Southeast Asia. Tourism and hydroelectric dams along the rivers that run through the country are driving the legal economy.     PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    DailyLifeLaos2106054.jpg
  • 13 MARCH 2016 - LUANG PRABANG, LAOS: A woman grills meat in the market in Luang Prabang. Luang Prabang was named a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1995. The move saved the city’s colonial architecture but the explosion of mass tourism has taken a toll on the city’s soul. According to one recent study, a small plot of land that sold for $8,000 three years ago now goes for $120,000. Many longtime residents are selling their homes and moving to small developments around the city. The old homes are then converted to guesthouses, restaurants and spas. The city is famous for the morning “tak bat,” or monks’ morning alms rounds. Every morning hundreds of Buddhist monks come out before dawn and walk in a silent procession through the city accepting alms from residents. Now, most of the people presenting alms to the monks are tourists, since so many Lao people have moved outside of the city center. About 50,000 people are thought to live in the Luang Prabang area, the city received more than 530,000 tourists in 2014.    PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    LuangPrabangTourism081.jpg
  • 13 MARCH 2016 - LUANG PRABANG, LAOS: A man repairs his fishing nets in front of his home in Luang Prabang. Scenes like this, once common in the town, are now rare because so many working class Lao people have sold their homes to real estate speculators and moved out of town. Luang Prabang was named a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1995. The move saved the city’s colonial architecture but the explosion of mass tourism has taken a toll on the city’s soul. According to one recent study, a small plot of land that sold for $8,000 three years ago now goes for $120,000. Many longtime residents are selling their homes and moving to small developments around the city. The old homes are then converted to guesthouses, restaurants and spas. The city is famous for the morning “tak bat,” or monks’ morning alms rounds. Every morning hundreds of Buddhist monks come out before dawn and walk in a silent procession through the city accepting alms from residents. Now, most of the people presenting alms to the monks are tourists, since so many Lao people have moved outside of the city center. About 50,000 people are thought to live in the Luang Prabang area, the city received more than 530,000 tourists in 2014.    PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    LuangPrabangTourism072.jpg
  • 12 MARCH 2016 - LUANG PRABANG, LAOS: Tourists give alms to and photograph Buddhist monks during the morning tak bat in Luang Prabang. Luang Prabang was named a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1995. The move saved the city’s colonial architecture but the explosion of mass tourism has taken a toll on the city’s soul. According to one recent study, a small plot of land that sold for $8,000 three years ago now goes for $120,000. Many longtime residents are selling their homes and moving to small developments around the city. The old homes are then converted to guesthouses, restaurants and spas. The city is famous for the morning “tak bat,” or monks’ morning alms rounds. Every morning hundreds of Buddhist monks come out before dawn and walk in a silent procession through the city accepting alms from residents. Now, most of the people presenting alms to the monks are tourists, since so many Lao people have moved outside of the city center. About 50,000 people are thought to live in the Luang Prabang area, the city received more than 530,000 tourists in 2014.       PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    LuangPrabangTourism034.jpg
  • 11 MARCH 2016 - LUANG PRABANG, LAOS: A man waters his garden in the community of Chomphet, across the Mekong River from Luang Prabang. Laos is one of the poorest countries in Southeast Asia. Tourism and hydroelectric dams along the rivers that run through the country are driving the legal economy.       PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    DailyLifeLaos2106021.jpg
  • 13 MARCH 2016 - LUANG PRABANG, LAOS: A woman crosses a restored alley in a residential section of Luang Prabang. Luang Prabang was named a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1995. The move saved the city’s colonial architecture but the explosion of mass tourism has taken a toll on the city’s soul. According to one recent study, a small plot of land that sold for $8,000 three years ago now goes for $120,000. Many longtime residents are selling their homes and moving to small developments around the city. The old homes are then converted to guesthouses, restaurants and spas. The city is famous for the morning “tak bat,” or monks’ morning alms rounds. Every morning hundreds of Buddhist monks come out before dawn and walk in a silent procession through the city accepting alms from residents. Now, most of the people presenting alms to the monks are tourists, since so many Lao people have moved outside of the city center. About 50,000 people are thought to live in the Luang Prabang area, the city received more than 530,000 tourists in 2014.    PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    LuangPrabangTourism106.jpg
  • 11 MARCH 2016 - LUANG PRABANG, LAOS:  Lao women wait to present monks with alms during the tak bat in Luang Prabang. Luang Prabang was named a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1995. The move saved the city’s colonial architecture but the explosion of mass tourism has taken a toll on the city’s soul. According to one recent study, a small plot of land that sold for $8,000 three years ago now goes for $120,000. Many longtime residents are selling their homes and moving to small developments around the city. The old homes are then converted to guesthouses, restaurants and spas. The city is famous for the morning “tak bat,” or monks’ morning alms rounds. Every morning hundreds of Buddhist monks come out before dawn and walk in a silent procession through the city accepting alms from residents. Now, most of the people presenting alms to the monks are tourists, since so many Lao people have moved outside of the city center. About 50,000 people are thought to live in the Luang Prabang area, the city received more than 530,000 tourists in 2014.      PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    LuangPrabangTourism010.jpg
  • 12 MARCH 2016 - LUANG PRABANG, LAOS:  A colonial era building turned into a guest house for tourists in Luang Prabang. Luang Prabang was named a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1995. The move saved the city’s colonial architecture but the explosion of mass tourism has taken a toll on the city’s soul. According to one recent study, a small plot of land that sold for $8,000 three years ago now goes for $120,000. Many longtime residents are selling their homes and moving to small developments around the city. The old homes are then converted to guesthouses, restaurants and spas. The city is famous for the morning “tak bat,” or monks’ morning alms rounds. Every morning hundreds of Buddhist monks come out before dawn and walk in a silent procession through the city accepting alms from residents. Now, most of the people presenting alms to the monks are tourists, since so many Lao people have moved outside of the city center. About 50,000 people are thought to live in the Luang Prabang area, the city received more than 530,000 tourists in 2014.      PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    LuangPrabangTourism089.jpg
  • 13 MARCH 2016 - LUANG PRABANG, LAOS: A market vendor sells Lao curries to an elderly shopper in the market in Luang Prabang. Luang Prabang was named a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1995. The move saved the city’s colonial architecture but the explosion of mass tourism has taken a toll on the city’s soul. According to one recent study, a small plot of land that sold for $8,000 three years ago now goes for $120,000. Many longtime residents are selling their homes and moving to small developments around the city. The old homes are then converted to guesthouses, restaurants and spas. The city is famous for the morning “tak bat,” or monks’ morning alms rounds. Every morning hundreds of Buddhist monks come out before dawn and walk in a silent procession through the city accepting alms from residents. Now, most of the people presenting alms to the monks are tourists, since so many Lao people have moved outside of the city center. About 50,000 people are thought to live in the Luang Prabang area, the city received more than 530,000 tourists in 2014.    PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    LuangPrabangTourism083.jpg
  • 13 MARCH 2016 - LUANG PRABANG, LAOS: A woman makes grilled quail eggs, an Asian delicacy, in the market in Luang Prabang. Luang Prabang was named a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1995. The move saved the city’s colonial architecture but the explosion of mass tourism has taken a toll on the city’s soul. According to one recent study, a small plot of land that sold for $8,000 three years ago now goes for $120,000. Many longtime residents are selling their homes and moving to small developments around the city. The old homes are then converted to guesthouses, restaurants and spas. The city is famous for the morning “tak bat,” or monks’ morning alms rounds. Every morning hundreds of Buddhist monks come out before dawn and walk in a silent procession through the city accepting alms from residents. Now, most of the people presenting alms to the monks are tourists, since so many Lao people have moved outside of the city center. About 50,000 people are thought to live in the Luang Prabang area, the city received more than 530,000 tourists in 2014.    PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    LuangPrabangTourism077.jpg
  • 13 MARCH 2016 - LUANG PRABANG, LAOS: A man repairs his fishing nets in front of his home in Luang Prabang. Scenes like this, once common in the town, are now rare because so many working class Lao people have sold their homes to real estate speculators and moved out of town. Luang Prabang was named a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1995. The move saved the city’s colonial architecture but the explosion of mass tourism has taken a toll on the city’s soul. According to one recent study, a small plot of land that sold for $8,000 three years ago now goes for $120,000. Many longtime residents are selling their homes and moving to small developments around the city. The old homes are then converted to guesthouses, restaurants and spas. The city is famous for the morning “tak bat,” or monks’ morning alms rounds. Every morning hundreds of Buddhist monks come out before dawn and walk in a silent procession through the city accepting alms from residents. Now, most of the people presenting alms to the monks are tourists, since so many Lao people have moved outside of the city center. About 50,000 people are thought to live in the Luang Prabang area, the city received more than 530,000 tourists in 2014.    PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    LuangPrabangTourism073.jpg
  • 12 MARCH 2016 - LUANG PRABANG, LAOS: Buddhist monks at a meditation and chanting service at their temple in Luang Prabang. Luang Prabang was named a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1995. The move saved the city’s colonial architecture but the explosion of mass tourism has taken a toll on the city’s soul. According to one recent study, a small plot of land that sold for $8,000 three years ago now goes for $120,000. Many longtime residents are selling their homes and moving to small developments around the city. The old homes are then converted to guesthouses, restaurants and spas. The city is famous for the morning “tak bat,” or monks’ morning alms rounds. Every morning hundreds of Buddhist monks come out before dawn and walk in a silent procession through the city accepting alms from residents. Now, most of the people presenting alms to the monks are tourists, since so many Lao people have moved outside of the city center. About 50,000 people are thought to live in the Luang Prabang area, the city received more than 530,000 tourists in 2014.       PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    LuangPrabangTourism052.jpg
  • 12 MARCH 2016 - LUANG PRABANG, LAOS:  Tourists photograph Buddhist monks during the morning tak bat in Luang Prabang. Luang Prabang was named a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1995. The move saved the city’s colonial architecture but the explosion of mass tourism has taken a toll on the city’s soul. According to one recent study, a small plot of land that sold for $8,000 three years ago now goes for $120,000. Many longtime residents are selling their homes and moving to small developments around the city. The old homes are then converted to guesthouses, restaurants and spas. The city is famous for the morning “tak bat,” or monks’ morning alms rounds. Every morning hundreds of Buddhist monks come out before dawn and walk in a silent procession through the city accepting alms from residents. Now, most of the people presenting alms to the monks are tourists, since so many Lao people have moved outside of the city center. About 50,000 people are thought to live in the Luang Prabang area, the city received more than 530,000 tourists in 2014.      PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    LuangPrabangTourism040.jpg
  • 12 MARCH 2016 - LUANG PRABANG, LAOS:  Tourists photograph Buddhist monks during the morning tak bat in Luang Prabang. Luang Prabang was named a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1995. The move saved the city’s colonial architecture but the explosion of mass tourism has taken a toll on the city’s soul. According to one recent study, a small plot of land that sold for $8,000 three years ago now goes for $120,000. Many longtime residents are selling their homes and moving to small developments around the city. The old homes are then converted to guesthouses, restaurants and spas. The city is famous for the morning “tak bat,” or monks’ morning alms rounds. Every morning hundreds of Buddhist monks come out before dawn and walk in a silent procession through the city accepting alms from residents. Now, most of the people presenting alms to the monks are tourists, since so many Lao people have moved outside of the city center. About 50,000 people are thought to live in the Luang Prabang area, the city received more than 530,000 tourists in 2014.      PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    LuangPrabangTourism038.jpg
  • 12 MARCH 2016 - LUANG PRABANG, LAOS:  Tourists give alms to Buddhist monks during the morning tak bat in Luang Prabang. Luang Prabang was named a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1995. The move saved the city’s colonial architecture but the explosion of mass tourism has taken a toll on the city’s soul. According to one recent study, a small plot of land that sold for $8,000 three years ago now goes for $120,000. Many longtime residents are selling their homes and moving to small developments around the city. The old homes are then converted to guesthouses, restaurants and spas. The city is famous for the morning “tak bat,” or monks’ morning alms rounds. Every morning hundreds of Buddhist monks come out before dawn and walk in a silent procession through the city accepting alms from residents. Now, most of the people presenting alms to the monks are tourists, since so many Lao people have moved outside of the city center. About 50,000 people are thought to live in the Luang Prabang area, the city received more than 530,000 tourists in 2014.      PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    LuangPrabangTourism035.jpg
  • 11 MARCH 2016 - LUANG PRABANG, LAOS:  A Lao man flanked by tourists waits for Buddhist monks to pass him during the morning tak bat in Luang Prabang. Luang Prabang was named a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1995. The move saved the city’s colonial architecture but the explosion of mass tourism has taken a toll on the city’s soul. According to one recent study, a small plot of land that sold for $8,000 three years ago now goes for $120,000. Many longtime residents are selling their homes and moving to small developments around the city. The old homes are then converted to guesthouses, restaurants and spas. The city is famous for the morning “tak bat,” or monks’ morning alms rounds. Every morning hundreds of Buddhist monks come out before dawn and walk in a silent procession through the city accepting alms from residents. Now, most of the people presenting alms to the monks are tourists, since so many Lao people have moved outside of the city center. About 50,000 people are thought to live in the Luang Prabang area, the city received more than 530,000 tourists in 2014.      PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    LuangPrabangTourism021.jpg
  • 11 MARCH 2016 - LUANG PRABANG, LAOS:  Lao women wait for Buddhist monks to pass him during the morning tak bat in Luang Prabang. Luang Prabang was named a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1995. The move saved the city’s colonial architecture but the explosion of mass tourism has taken a toll on the city’s soul. According to one recent study, a small plot of land that sold for $8,000 three years ago now goes for $120,000. Many longtime residents are selling their homes and moving to small developments around the city. The old homes are then converted to guesthouses, restaurants and spas. The city is famous for the morning “tak bat,” or monks’ morning alms rounds. Every morning hundreds of Buddhist monks come out before dawn and walk in a silent procession through the city accepting alms from residents. Now, most of the people presenting alms to the monks are tourists, since so many Lao people have moved outside of the city center. About 50,000 people are thought to live in the Luang Prabang area, the city received more than 530,000 tourists in 2014.      PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    LuangPrabangTourism020.jpg
  • 12 MARCH 2016 - LUANG PRABANG, LAOS:  A man does subsistence fishing in the Nam Khan River near its confluence with the Mekong River in Luang Prabang, Laos. Laos is one of the poorest countries in Southeast Asia. Tourism and hydroelectric dams along the rivers that run through the country are driving the legal economy.      PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    DailyLifeLaos2106067.jpg
  • 12 MARCH 2016 - LUANG PRABANG, LAOS:  A man does subsistence fishing in the Nam Khan River near its confluence with the Mekong River in Luang Prabang, Laos. Laos is one of the poorest countries in Southeast Asia. Tourism and hydroelectric dams along the rivers that run through the country are driving the legal economy.      PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    DailyLifeLaos2106066.jpg
  • 12 MARCH 2016 - LUANG PRABANG, LAOS: A passenger boat goes down the Mekong River near Luang Prabang. Laos is one of the poorest countries in Southeast Asia. Tourism and hydroelectric dams along the rivers that run through the country are driving the legal economy.       PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    DailyLifeLaos2106061.jpg
  • 12 MARCH 2016 - LUANG PRABANG, LAOS: The bamboo foot bridge across the Nam Khan River near Luang Prabang. The bridge is seasonal. Villagers put it up every year, at the at the start of the dry season and take it down when the Nam Khan floods during the rainy season.  Laos is one of the poorest countries in Southeast Asia. Tourism and hydroelectric dams along the rivers that run through the country are driving the legal economy.     PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    DailyLifeLaos2106060.jpg
  • 11 MARCH 2016 - LUANG PRABANG, LAOS:   Buddhist monks cross a bamboo foot bridge across the Nam Khan River near Luang Prabang. The bridge is seasonal. Villagers put it up every year, at the at the start of the dry season and take it down when the Nam Khan floods during the rainy season.  Laos is one of the poorest countries in Southeast Asia. Tourism and hydroelectric dams along the rivers that run through the country are driving the legal economy.     PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    DailyLifeLaos2106052.jpg
  • 11 MARCH 2016 - LUANG PRABANG, LAOS:   A man does subsistence fishing in the Nam Khan River near its confluence with the Mekong River in Luang Prabang, Laos. Laos is one of the poorest countries in Southeast Asia. Tourism and hydroelectric dams along the rivers that run through the country are driving the legal economy.     PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    DailyLifeLaos2106049.jpg
  • 11 MARCH 2016 - LUANG PRABANG, LAOS:   A man trims bamboo to make traditional musical instruments in the community of Chomphet, across the Mekong River from Luang Prabang. Laos is one of the poorest countries in Southeast Asia. Tourism and hydroelectric dams along the rivers that run through the country are driving the legal economy.     PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    DailyLifeLaos2106020.jpg
  • 13 MARCH 2016 - LUANG PRABANG, LAOS:  Lao people ride a motorcycle past a home for sale in Luang Prabang. The for sale sign being in English indicates who the property is being marketed to. Luang Prabang was named a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1995. The move saved the city’s colonial architecture but the explosion of mass tourism has taken a toll on the city’s soul. According to one recent study, a small plot of land that sold for $8,000 three years ago now goes for $120,000. Many longtime residents are selling their homes and moving to small developments around the city. The old homes are then converted to guesthouses, restaurants and spas. The city is famous for the morning “tak bat,” or monks’ morning alms rounds. Every morning hundreds of Buddhist monks come out before dawn and walk in a silent procession through the city accepting alms from residents. Now, most of the people presenting alms to the monks are tourists, since so many Lao people have moved outside of the city center. About 50,000 people are thought to live in the Luang Prabang area, the city received more than 530,000 tourists in 2014.   PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    LuangPrabangTourism102.jpg
  • 12 MARCH 2016 - LUANG PRABANG, LAOS:  A colonial era building turned into a guest house for tourists in Luang Prabang. Luang Prabang was named a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1995. The move saved the city’s colonial architecture but the explosion of mass tourism has taken a toll on the city’s soul. According to one recent study, a small plot of land that sold for $8,000 three years ago now goes for $120,000. Many longtime residents are selling their homes and moving to small developments around the city. The old homes are then converted to guesthouses, restaurants and spas. The city is famous for the morning “tak bat,” or monks’ morning alms rounds. Every morning hundreds of Buddhist monks come out before dawn and walk in a silent procession through the city accepting alms from residents. Now, most of the people presenting alms to the monks are tourists, since so many Lao people have moved outside of the city center. About 50,000 people are thought to live in the Luang Prabang area, the city received more than 530,000 tourists in 2014.      PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    LuangPrabangTourism088.jpg
  • 12 MARCH 2016 - LUANG PRABANG, LAOS:  A tourist cruise boat parked on the banks of the Mekong River in Luang Prabang. Luang Prabang was named a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1995. The move saved the city’s colonial architecture but the explosion of mass tourism has taken a toll on the city’s soul. According to one recent study, a small plot of land that sold for $8,000 three years ago now goes for $120,000. Many longtime residents are selling their homes and moving to small developments around the city. The old homes are then converted to guesthouses, restaurants and spas. The city is famous for the morning “tak bat,” or monks’ morning alms rounds. Every morning hundreds of Buddhist monks come out before dawn and walk in a silent procession through the city accepting alms from residents. Now, most of the people presenting alms to the monks are tourists, since so many Lao people have moved outside of the city center. About 50,000 people are thought to live in the Luang Prabang area, the city received more than 530,000 tourists in 2014.      PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    LuangPrabangTourism066.jpg
  • 11 MARCH 2016 - LUANG PRABANG, LAOS:  Colorful Lao parasols for sale in the handicraft market in Luang Prabang. Luang Prabang was named a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1995. The move saved the city’s colonial architecture but the explosion of mass tourism has taken a toll on the city’s soul. According to one recent study, a small plot of land that sold for $8,000 three years ago now goes for $120,000. Many longtime residents are selling their homes and moving to small developments around the city. The old homes are then converted to guesthouses, restaurants and spas. The city is famous for the morning “tak bat,” or monks’ morning alms rounds. Every morning hundreds of Buddhist monks come out before dawn and walk in a silent procession through the city accepting alms from residents. Now, most of the people presenting alms to the monks are tourists, since so many Lao people have moved outside of the city center. About 50,000 people are thought to live in the Luang Prabang area, the city received more than 530,000 tourists in 2014.      PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    LuangPrabangTourism064.jpg
  • 12 MARCH 2016 - LUANG PRABANG, LAOS: Buddhist monks at a meditation and chanting service at their temple in Luang Prabang. Luang Prabang was named a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1995. The move saved the city’s colonial architecture but the explosion of mass tourism has taken a toll on the city’s soul. According to one recent study, a small plot of land that sold for $8,000 three years ago now goes for $120,000. Many longtime residents are selling their homes and moving to small developments around the city. The old homes are then converted to guesthouses, restaurants and spas. The city is famous for the morning “tak bat,” or monks’ morning alms rounds. Every morning hundreds of Buddhist monks come out before dawn and walk in a silent procession through the city accepting alms from residents. Now, most of the people presenting alms to the monks are tourists, since so many Lao people have moved outside of the city center. About 50,000 people are thought to live in the Luang Prabang area, the city received more than 530,000 tourists in 2014.       PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    LuangPrabangTourism054.jpg
  • 11 MARCH 2016 - LUANG PRABANG, LAOS: A tourist photographs Buddhist monks during the tak bat while Lao children wait for more monks to pass them. The monks give the children food items they don't use, like candy, that people give to the monks. Luang Prabang was named a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1995. The move saved the city’s colonial architecture but the explosion of mass tourism has taken a toll on the city’s soul. According to one recent study, a small plot of land that sold for $8,000 three years ago now goes for $120,000. Many longtime residents are selling their homes and moving to small developments around the city. The old homes are then converted to guesthouses, restaurants and spas. The city is famous for the morning “tak bat,” or monks’ morning alms rounds. Every morning hundreds of Buddhist monks come out before dawn and walk in a silent procession through the city accepting alms from residents. Now, most of the people presenting alms to the monks are tourists, since so many Lao people have moved outside of the city center. About 50,000 people are thought to live in the Luang Prabang area, the city received more than 530,000 tourists in 2014.       PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    LuangPrabangTourism030.jpg
  • 11 MARCH 2016 - LUANG PRABANG, LAOS:  Tourists give alms to Buddhist monks during the morning tak bat in Luang Prabang. Luang Prabang was named a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1995. The move saved the city’s colonial architecture but the explosion of mass tourism has taken a toll on the city’s soul. According to one recent study, a small plot of land that sold for $8,000 three years ago now goes for $120,000. Many longtime residents are selling their homes and moving to small developments around the city. The old homes are then converted to guesthouses, restaurants and spas. The city is famous for the morning “tak bat,” or monks’ morning alms rounds. Every morning hundreds of Buddhist monks come out before dawn and walk in a silent procession through the city accepting alms from residents. Now, most of the people presenting alms to the monks are tourists, since so many Lao people have moved outside of the city center. About 50,000 people are thought to live in the Luang Prabang area, the city received more than 530,000 tourists in 2014.      PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    LuangPrabangTourism014.jpg
  • 12 MARCH 2016 - LUANG PRABANG, LAOS: A Buddhist monk leaves small prayer chamber at Wat Xieng Thong, Luang Prabang's oldest Buddhist temple,  in Luang Prabang, Laos. Laos is one of the poorest countries in Southeast Asia. Tourism and hydroelectric dams along the rivers that run through the country are driving the legal economy.       PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    DailyLifeLaos2106078.jpg
  • 12 MARCH 2016 - LUANG PRABANG, LAOS: A Buddhist monk leaves small prayer chamber at Wat Xieng Thong, Luang Prabang's oldest Buddhist temple,  in Luang Prabang, Laos. Laos is one of the poorest countries in Southeast Asia. Tourism and hydroelectric dams along the rivers that run through the country are driving the legal economy.       PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    DailyLifeLaos2106077.jpg
  • 12 MARCH 2016 - LUANG PRABANG, LAOS: A Buddhist monk walks into a temple's meditation hall in Luang Prabang, Laos. Laos is one of the poorest countries in Southeast Asia. Tourism and hydroelectric dams along the rivers that run through the country are driving the legal economy.       PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    DailyLifeLaos2106076.jpg
  • 12 MARCH 2016 - LUANG PRABANG, LAOS:  A tourist walks across a bamboo bridge spanning the Nam Khan River in Luang Prabang. Luang Prabang was named a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1995. The move saved the city’s colonial architecture but the explosion of mass tourism has taken a toll on the city’s soul. According to one recent study, a small plot of land that sold for $8,000 three years ago now goes for $120,000. Many longtime residents are selling their homes and moving to small developments around the city. The old homes are then converted to guesthouses, restaurants and spas. The city is famous for the morning “tak bat,” or monks’ morning alms rounds. Every morning hundreds of Buddhist monks come out before dawn and walk in a silent procession through the city accepting alms from residents. Now, most of the people presenting alms to the monks are tourists, since so many Lao people have moved outside of the city center. About 50,000 people are thought to live in the Luang Prabang area, the city received more than 530,000 tourists in 2014.      PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    DailyLifeLaos2106057.jpg
  • 12 MARCH 2016 - LUANG PRABANG, LAOS:  The Mekong River near Luang Prabang. Laos is one of the poorest countries in Southeast Asia. Tourism and hydroelectric dams along the rivers that run through the country are driving the legal economy.      PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    DailyLifeLaos2106055.jpg
  • 11 MARCH 2016 - LUANG PRABANG, LAOS:  A crewman lowers the ramp on a ferry across the Mekong River near Luang Prabang. Laos is one of the poorest countries in Southeast Asia. Tourism and hydroelectric dams along the rivers that run through the country are driving the legal economy.      PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    DailyLifeLaos2106035.jpg
  • 11 MARCH 2016 - LUANG PRABANG, LAOS:  Children cross a bridge over a stream in the community of Chomphet, across the Mekong River from Luang Prabang. Laos is one of the poorest countries in Southeast Asia. Tourism and hydroelectric dams along the rivers that run through the country are driving the legal economy.      PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    DailyLifeLaos2106030.jpg
  • 11 MARCH 2016 - LUANG PRABANG, LAOS:  A woman sells produce in the community of Chomphet, across the Mekong River from Luang Prabang. Laos is one of the poorest countries in Southeast Asia. Tourism and hydroelectric dams along the rivers that run through the country are driving the legal economy.      PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    DailyLifeLaos2106026.jpg
  • 12 MARCH 2016 - LUANG PRABANG, LAOS: A colonial style shophouse turned into tourists' boutiques and souvenir shops in Luang Prabang. Luang Prabang was named a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1995. The move saved the city’s colonial architecture but the explosion of mass tourism has taken a toll on the city’s soul. According to one recent study, a small plot of land that sold for $8,000 three years ago now goes for $120,000. Many longtime residents are selling their homes and moving to small developments around the city. The old homes are then converted to guesthouses, restaurants and spas. The city is famous for the morning “tak bat,” or monks’ morning alms rounds. Every morning hundreds of Buddhist monks come out before dawn and walk in a silent procession through the city accepting alms from residents. Now, most of the people presenting alms to the monks are tourists, since so many Lao people have moved outside of the city center. About 50,000 people are thought to live in the Luang Prabang area, the city received more than 530,000 tourists in 2014.       PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    LuangPrabangTourism092.jpg
  • 12 MARCH 2016 - LUANG PRABANG, LAOS:  A1952 Citroen Model 11, one of only two of that model in Laos, at 3 Nagas, one of the most upscale hotels in Luang Prabang. Luang Prabang was named a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1995. The move saved the city’s colonial architecture but the explosion of mass tourism has taken a toll on the city’s soul. According to one recent study, a small plot of land that sold for $8,000 three years ago now goes for $120,000. Many longtime residents are selling their homes and moving to small developments around the city. The old homes are then converted to guesthouses, restaurants and spas. The city is famous for the morning “tak bat,” or monks’ morning alms rounds. Every morning hundreds of Buddhist monks come out before dawn and walk in a silent procession through the city accepting alms from residents. Now, most of the people presenting alms to the monks are tourists, since so many Lao people have moved outside of the city center. About 50,000 people are thought to live in the Luang Prabang area, the city received more than 530,000 tourists in 2014.      PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    LuangPrabangTourism085.jpg
  • 13 MARCH 2016 - LUANG PRABANG, LAOS: A tourist photographs a noodle stand in the market in Luang Prabang while shoppers walk around him. Luang Prabang was named a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1995. The move saved the city’s colonial architecture but the explosion of mass tourism has taken a toll on the city’s soul. According to one recent study, a small plot of land that sold for $8,000 three years ago now goes for $120,000. Many longtime residents are selling their homes and moving to small developments around the city. The old homes are then converted to guesthouses, restaurants and spas. The city is famous for the morning “tak bat,” or monks’ morning alms rounds. Every morning hundreds of Buddhist monks come out before dawn and walk in a silent procession through the city accepting alms from residents. Now, most of the people presenting alms to the monks are tourists, since so many Lao people have moved outside of the city center. About 50,000 people are thought to live in the Luang Prabang area, the city received more than 530,000 tourists in 2014.    PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    LuangPrabangTourism080.jpg
  • 11 MARCH 2016 - LUANG PRABANG, LAOS:  A colonial style shophouse turned into tourists' boutiques and souvenir shops in Luang Prabang. Luang Prabang was named a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1995. The move saved the city’s colonial architecture but the explosion of mass tourism has taken a toll on the city’s soul. According to one recent study, a small plot of land that sold for $8,000 three years ago now goes for $120,000. Many longtime residents are selling their homes and moving to small developments around the city. The old homes are then converted to guesthouses, restaurants and spas. The city is famous for the morning “tak bat,” or monks’ morning alms rounds. Every morning hundreds of Buddhist monks come out before dawn and walk in a silent procession through the city accepting alms from residents. Now, most of the people presenting alms to the monks are tourists, since so many Lao people have moved outside of the city center. About 50,000 people are thought to live in the Luang Prabang area, the city received more than 530,000 tourists in 2014.      PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    LuangPrabangTourism058.jpg
  • 11 MARCH 2016 - LUANG PRABANG, LAOS:  Sign boards for tourists in English and Korean in Luang Prabang. The Mekong River is in the background. Luang Prabang was named a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1995. The move saved the city’s colonial architecture but the explosion of mass tourism has taken a toll on the city’s soul. According to one recent study, a small plot of land that sold for $8,000 three years ago now goes for $120,000. Many longtime residents are selling their homes and moving to small developments around the city. The old homes are then converted to guesthouses, restaurants and spas. The city is famous for the morning “tak bat,” or monks’ morning alms rounds. Every morning hundreds of Buddhist monks come out before dawn and walk in a silent procession through the city accepting alms from residents. Now, most of the people presenting alms to the monks are tourists, since so many Lao people have moved outside of the city center. About 50,000 people are thought to live in the Luang Prabang area, the city received more than 530,000 tourists in 2014.      PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    LuangPrabangTourism057.jpg
  • 12 MARCH 2016 - LUANG PRABANG, LAOS: Buddhist monks at a meditation and chanting service at their temple in Luang Prabang. Luang Prabang was named a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1995. The move saved the city’s colonial architecture but the explosion of mass tourism has taken a toll on the city’s soul. According to one recent study, a small plot of land that sold for $8,000 three years ago now goes for $120,000. Many longtime residents are selling their homes and moving to small developments around the city. The old homes are then converted to guesthouses, restaurants and spas. The city is famous for the morning “tak bat,” or monks’ morning alms rounds. Every morning hundreds of Buddhist monks come out before dawn and walk in a silent procession through the city accepting alms from residents. Now, most of the people presenting alms to the monks are tourists, since so many Lao people have moved outside of the city center. About 50,000 people are thought to live in the Luang Prabang area, the city received more than 530,000 tourists in 2014.       PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    LuangPrabangTourism051.jpg
  • 12 MARCH 2016 - LUANG PRABANG, LAOS: A Lao woman gives alms to Buddhist monks during the morning tak bat in Luang Prabang. Luang Prabang was named a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1995. The move saved the city’s colonial architecture but the explosion of mass tourism has taken a toll on the city’s soul. According to one recent study, a small plot of land that sold for $8,000 three years ago now goes for $120,000. Many longtime residents are selling their homes and moving to small developments around the city. The old homes are then converted to guesthouses, restaurants and spas. The city is famous for the morning “tak bat,” or monks’ morning alms rounds. Every morning hundreds of Buddhist monks come out before dawn and walk in a silent procession through the city accepting alms from residents. Now, most of the people presenting alms to the monks are tourists, since so many Lao people have moved outside of the city center. About 50,000 people are thought to live in the Luang Prabang area, the city received more than 530,000 tourists in 2014.       PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    LuangPrabangTourism046.jpg
  • 11 MARCH 2016 - LUANG PRABANG, LAOS:  Lao women wait for Buddhist monks to pass him during the morning tak bat in Luang Prabang. Luang Prabang was named a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1995. The move saved the city’s colonial architecture but the explosion of mass tourism has taken a toll on the city’s soul. According to one recent study, a small plot of land that sold for $8,000 three years ago now goes for $120,000. Many longtime residents are selling their homes and moving to small developments around the city. The old homes are then converted to guesthouses, restaurants and spas. The city is famous for the morning “tak bat,” or monks’ morning alms rounds. Every morning hundreds of Buddhist monks come out before dawn and walk in a silent procession through the city accepting alms from residents. Now, most of the people presenting alms to the monks are tourists, since so many Lao people have moved outside of the city center. About 50,000 people are thought to live in the Luang Prabang area, the city received more than 530,000 tourists in 2014.      PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    LuangPrabangTourism019.jpg
  • 11 MARCH 2016 - LUANG PRABANG, LAOS:  Tourists give alms to Buddhist monks during the morning tak bat in Luang Prabang. Luang Prabang was named a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1995. The move saved the city’s colonial architecture but the explosion of mass tourism has taken a toll on the city’s soul. According to one recent study, a small plot of land that sold for $8,000 three years ago now goes for $120,000. Many longtime residents are selling their homes and moving to small developments around the city. The old homes are then converted to guesthouses, restaurants and spas. The city is famous for the morning “tak bat,” or monks’ morning alms rounds. Every morning hundreds of Buddhist monks come out before dawn and walk in a silent procession through the city accepting alms from residents. Now, most of the people presenting alms to the monks are tourists, since so many Lao people have moved outside of the city center. About 50,000 people are thought to live in the Luang Prabang area, the city received more than 530,000 tourists in 2014.      PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    LuangPrabangTourism015.jpg
  • 11 MARCH 2016 - LUANG PRABANG, LAOS:  Lao women wait to present monks with alms during the tak bat in Luang Prabang. Luang Prabang was named a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1995. The move saved the city’s colonial architecture but the explosion of mass tourism has taken a toll on the city’s soul. According to one recent study, a small plot of land that sold for $8,000 three years ago now goes for $120,000. Many longtime residents are selling their homes and moving to small developments around the city. The old homes are then converted to guesthouses, restaurants and spas. The city is famous for the morning “tak bat,” or monks’ morning alms rounds. Every morning hundreds of Buddhist monks come out before dawn and walk in a silent procession through the city accepting alms from residents. Now, most of the people presenting alms to the monks are tourists, since so many Lao people have moved outside of the city center. About 50,000 people are thought to live in the Luang Prabang area, the city received more than 530,000 tourists in 2014.      PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    LuangPrabangTourism006.jpg
  • 12 MARCH 2016 - LUANG PRABANG, LAOS:  A man does subsistence fishing in the Nam Khan River near its confluence with the Mekong River in Luang Prabang, Laos. Laos is one of the poorest countries in Southeast Asia. Tourism and hydroelectric dams along the rivers that run through the country are driving the legal economy.      PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    DailyLifeLaos2106068.jpg
  • 12 MARCH 2016 - LUANG PRABANG, LAOS:  Subsistence fishermen on the Nam Khan River near Luang Prabang. Laos is one of the poorest countries in Southeast Asia. Tourism and hydroelectric dams along the rivers that run through the country are driving the legal economy.      PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    DailyLifeLaos2106062.jpg
  • 11 MARCH 2016 - LUANG PRABANG, LAOS:   Buddhist monks cross a bamboo foot bridge across the Nam Khan River near Luang Prabang. The bridge is seasonal. Villagers put it up every year, at the at the start of the dry season and take it down when the Nam Khan floods during the rainy season.  Laos is one of the poorest countries in Southeast Asia. Tourism and hydroelectric dams along the rivers that run through the country are driving the legal economy.     PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    DailyLifeLaos2106053.jpg
  • 11 MARCH 2016 - LUANG PRABANG, LAOS:   A man does subsistence fishing in the Nam Khan River near its confluence with the Mekong River in Luang Prabang, Laos. Laos is one of the poorest countries in Southeast Asia. Tourism and hydroelectric dams along the rivers that run through the country are driving the legal economy.     PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    DailyLifeLaos2106047.jpg
  • 11 MARCH 2016 - LUANG PRABANG, LAOS:   A man does subsistence fishing in the Nam Khan River near its confluence with the Mekong River in Luang Prabang, Laos. Laos is one of the poorest countries in Southeast Asia. Tourism and hydroelectric dams along the rivers that run through the country are driving the legal economy.     PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    DailyLifeLaos2106045.jpg
  • 11 MARCH 2016 - LUANG PRABANG, LAOS:   A man does subsistence fishing in the Nam Khan River near its confluence with the Mekong River in Luang Prabang, Laos. Laos is one of the poorest countries in Southeast Asia. Tourism and hydroelectric dams along the rivers that run through the country are driving the legal economy.     PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    DailyLifeLaos2106044.jpg
  • 11 MARCH 2016 - LUANG PRABANG, LAOS:  A man checks his smart phone on a ferry across the Mekong River near Luang Prabang. Laos is one of the poorest countries in Southeast Asia. Tourism and hydroelectric dams along the rivers that run through the country are driving the legal economy.      PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    DailyLifeLaos2106041.jpg
  • 11 MARCH 2016 - LUANG PRABANG, LAOS:  A crewman lowers the ramp on a ferry across the Mekong River near Luang Prabang. Laos is one of the poorest countries in Southeast Asia. Tourism and hydroelectric dams along the rivers that run through the country are driving the legal economy.      PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    DailyLifeLaos2106038.jpg
  • 11 MARCH 2016 - LUANG PRABANG, LAOS:  Fruit and rice left as an offering in a spirit house in the community of Chomphet, across the Mekong River from Luang Prabang. Laos is one of the poorest countries in Southeast Asia. Tourism and hydroelectric dams along the rivers that run through the country are driving the legal economy.      PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    DailyLifeLaos2106031.jpg
  • 11 MARCH 2016 - LUANG PRABANG, LAOS: A man rides his motorcycle through the community of Chomphet, across the Mekong River from Luang Prabang. Laos is one of the poorest countries in Southeast Asia. Tourism and hydroelectric dams along the rivers that run through the country are driving the legal economy.       PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    DailyLifeLaos2106028.jpg
  • 11 MARCH 2016 - LUANG PRABANG, LAOS:  A man repairs a small canoe in front of his home in the community of Chomphet, across the Mekong River from Luang Prabang. Laos is one of the poorest countries in Southeast Asia. Tourism and hydroelectric dams along the rivers that run through the country are driving the legal economy.      PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    DailyLifeLaos2106019.jpg
  • 11 MARCH 2016 - LUANG PRABANG, LAOS: A barber gives a man a shave in the community of Chomphet, across the Mekong River from Luang Prabang. Laos is one of the poorest countries in Southeast Asia. Tourism and hydroelectric dams along the rivers that run through the country are driving the legal economy.       PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    DailyLifeLaos2106014.jpg
  • 11 MARCH 2016 - LUANG PRABANG, LAOS:   Women on the bank of the Mekong River while a ferry brings people and cars across the river near Luang Prabang. Laos is one of the poorest countries in Southeast Asia. Tourism and hydroelectric dams along the rivers that run through the country are driving the legal economy.     PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    DailyLifeLaos2106006.jpg
  • 11 MARCH 2016 - LUANG PRABANG, LAOS:  People and cars on a ferry across the Mekong River near Luang Prabang. Laos is one of the poorest countries in Southeast Asia. Tourism and hydroelectric dams along the rivers that run through the country are driving the legal economy.      PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    DailyLifeLaos2106005.jpg
  • 13 MARCH 2016 - LUANG PRABANG, LAOS: Tourists walk past a home for sale in Luang Prabang. The for sale sign being in English indicates who the property is being marketed to. Luang Prabang was named a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1995. The move saved the city’s colonial architecture but the explosion of mass tourism has taken a toll on the city’s soul. According to one recent study, a small plot of land that sold for $8,000 three years ago now goes for $120,000. Many longtime residents are selling their homes and moving to small developments around the city. The old homes are then converted to guesthouses, restaurants and spas. The city is famous for the morning “tak bat,” or monks’ morning alms rounds. Every morning hundreds of Buddhist monks come out before dawn and walk in a silent procession through the city accepting alms from residents. Now, most of the people presenting alms to the monks are tourists, since so many Lao people have moved outside of the city center. About 50,000 people are thought to live in the Luang Prabang area, the city received more than 530,000 tourists in 2014.    PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    LuangPrabangTourism105.jpg
  • 13 MARCH 2016 - LUANG PRABANG, LAOS: A home for sale in the historic quarter of Luang Prabang. The for sale sign being in English indicates who the property is being marketed to. Luang Prabang was named a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1995. The move saved the city’s colonial architecture but the explosion of mass tourism has taken a toll on the city’s soul. According to one recent study, a small plot of land that sold for $8,000 three years ago now goes for $120,000. Many longtime residents are selling their homes and moving to small developments around the city. The old homes are then converted to guesthouses, restaurants and spas. The city is famous for the morning “tak bat,” or monks’ morning alms rounds. Every morning hundreds of Buddhist monks come out before dawn and walk in a silent procession through the city accepting alms from residents. Now, most of the people presenting alms to the monks are tourists, since so many Lao people have moved outside of the city center. About 50,000 people are thought to live in the Luang Prabang area, the city received more than 530,000 tourists in 2014.    PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    LuangPrabangTourism099.jpg
  • 13 MARCH 2016 - LUANG PRABANG, LAOS:  A tourist peddles past a French colonial house that has been turned into a spa in Luang Prabang. Luang Prabang was named a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1995. The move saved the city’s colonial architecture but the explosion of mass tourism has taken a toll on the city’s soul. According to one recent study, a small plot of land that sold for $8,000 three years ago now goes for $120,000. Many longtime residents are selling their homes and moving to small developments around the city. The old homes are then converted to guesthouses, restaurants and spas. The city is famous for the morning “tak bat,” or monks’ morning alms rounds. Every morning hundreds of Buddhist monks come out before dawn and walk in a silent procession through the city accepting alms from residents. Now, most of the people presenting alms to the monks are tourists, since so many Lao people have moved outside of the city center. About 50,000 people are thought to live in the Luang Prabang area, the city received more than 530,000 tourists in 2014.   PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    LuangPrabangTourism094.jpg
  • 12 MARCH 2016 - LUANG PRABANG, LAOS:  A colonial style shophouse turned into tourists' boutiques and souvenir shops in Luang Prabang. Luang Prabang was named a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1995. The move saved the city’s colonial architecture but the explosion of mass tourism has taken a toll on the city’s soul. According to one recent study, a small plot of land that sold for $8,000 three years ago now goes for $120,000. Many longtime residents are selling their homes and moving to small developments around the city. The old homes are then converted to guesthouses, restaurants and spas. The city is famous for the morning “tak bat,” or monks’ morning alms rounds. Every morning hundreds of Buddhist monks come out before dawn and walk in a silent procession through the city accepting alms from residents. Now, most of the people presenting alms to the monks are tourists, since so many Lao people have moved outside of the city center. About 50,000 people are thought to live in the Luang Prabang area, the city received more than 530,000 tourists in 2014.      PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    LuangPrabangTourism087.jpg
  • 13 MARCH 2016 - LUANG PRABANG, LAOS: A woman walks through the market in Luang Prabang. Luang Prabang was named a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1995. The move saved the city’s colonial architecture but the explosion of mass tourism has taken a toll on the city’s soul. According to one recent study, a small plot of land that sold for $8,000 three years ago now goes for $120,000. Many longtime residents are selling their homes and moving to small developments around the city. The old homes are then converted to guesthouses, restaurants and spas. The city is famous for the morning “tak bat,” or monks’ morning alms rounds. Every morning hundreds of Buddhist monks come out before dawn and walk in a silent procession through the city accepting alms from residents. Now, most of the people presenting alms to the monks are tourists, since so many Lao people have moved outside of the city center. About 50,000 people are thought to live in the Luang Prabang area, the city received more than 530,000 tourists in 2014.    PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    LuangPrabangTourism076.jpg
  • 11 MARCH 2016 - LUANG PRABANG, LAOS:  A vendor sets up her souvenir stand in the handicraft market in Luang Prabang. Luang Prabang was named a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1995. The move saved the city’s colonial architecture but the explosion of mass tourism has taken a toll on the city’s soul. According to one recent study, a small plot of land that sold for $8,000 three years ago now goes for $120,000. Many longtime residents are selling their homes and moving to small developments around the city. The old homes are then converted to guesthouses, restaurants and spas. The city is famous for the morning “tak bat,” or monks’ morning alms rounds. Every morning hundreds of Buddhist monks come out before dawn and walk in a silent procession through the city accepting alms from residents. Now, most of the people presenting alms to the monks are tourists, since so many Lao people have moved outside of the city center. About 50,000 people are thought to live in the Luang Prabang area, the city received more than 530,000 tourists in 2014.      PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    LuangPrabangTourism062.jpg
  • 11 MARCH 2016 - LUANG PRABANG, LAOS:  A fruit smoothie stand on the street of Luang Prabang. Luang Prabang was named a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1995. The move saved the city’s colonial architecture but the explosion of mass tourism has taken a toll on the city’s soul. According to one recent study, a small plot of land that sold for $8,000 three years ago now goes for $120,000. Many longtime residents are selling their homes and moving to small developments around the city. The old homes are then converted to guesthouses, restaurants and spas. The city is famous for the morning “tak bat,” or monks’ morning alms rounds. Every morning hundreds of Buddhist monks come out before dawn and walk in a silent procession through the city accepting alms from residents. Now, most of the people presenting alms to the monks are tourists, since so many Lao people have moved outside of the city center. About 50,000 people are thought to live in the Luang Prabang area, the city received more than 530,000 tourists in 2014.      PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    LuangPrabangTourism059.jpg
  • 11 MARCH 2016 - LUANG PRABANG, LAOS:  Tourists at a hotel breakfast buffet in Luang Prabang. The Mekong River is in the background. Luang Prabang was named a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1995. The move saved the city’s colonial architecture but the explosion of mass tourism has taken a toll on the city’s soul. According to one recent study, a small plot of land that sold for $8,000 three years ago now goes for $120,000. Many longtime residents are selling their homes and moving to small developments around the city. The old homes are then converted to guesthouses, restaurants and spas. The city is famous for the morning “tak bat,” or monks’ morning alms rounds. Every morning hundreds of Buddhist monks come out before dawn and walk in a silent procession through the city accepting alms from residents. Now, most of the people presenting alms to the monks are tourists, since so many Lao people have moved outside of the city center. About 50,000 people are thought to live in the Luang Prabang area, the city received more than 530,000 tourists in 2014.      PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    LuangPrabangTourism056.jpg
  • 11 MARCH 2016 - LUANG PRABANG, LAOS:  Lao women wait for Buddhist monks to pass him during the morning tak bat in Luang Prabang. Luang Prabang was named a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1995. The move saved the city’s colonial architecture but the explosion of mass tourism has taken a toll on the city’s soul. According to one recent study, a small plot of land that sold for $8,000 three years ago now goes for $120,000. Many longtime residents are selling their homes and moving to small developments around the city. The old homes are then converted to guesthouses, restaurants and spas. The city is famous for the morning “tak bat,” or monks’ morning alms rounds. Every morning hundreds of Buddhist monks come out before dawn and walk in a silent procession through the city accepting alms from residents. Now, most of the people presenting alms to the monks are tourists, since so many Lao people have moved outside of the city center. About 50,000 people are thought to live in the Luang Prabang area, the city received more than 530,000 tourists in 2014.      PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    LuangPrabangTourism031.jpg
  • 11 MARCH 2016 - LUANG PRABANG, LAOS:   Buddhist monks walk down a street in Luang Prabang during the morning tak bat. Luang Prabang was named a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1995. The move saved the city’s colonial architecture but the explosion of mass tourism has taken a toll on the city’s soul. According to one recent study, a small plot of land that sold for $8,000 three years ago now goes for $120,000. Many longtime residents are selling their homes and moving to small developments around the city. The old homes are then converted to guesthouses, restaurants and spas. The city is famous for the morning “tak bat,” or monks’ morning alms rounds. Every morning hundreds of Buddhist monks come out before dawn and walk in a silent procession through the city accepting alms from residents. Now, most of the people presenting alms to the monks are tourists, since so many Lao people have moved outside of the city center. About 50,000 people are thought to live in the Luang Prabang area, the city received more than 530,000 tourists in 2014.     PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    LuangPrabangTourism024.jpg
  • 11 MARCH 2016 - LUANG PRABANG, LAOS:  Lao women wait to present monks with alms during the tak bat in Luang Prabang. Luang Prabang was named a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1995. The move saved the city’s colonial architecture but the explosion of mass tourism has taken a toll on the city’s soul. According to one recent study, a small plot of land that sold for $8,000 three years ago now goes for $120,000. Many longtime residents are selling their homes and moving to small developments around the city. The old homes are then converted to guesthouses, restaurants and spas. The city is famous for the morning “tak bat,” or monks’ morning alms rounds. Every morning hundreds of Buddhist monks come out before dawn and walk in a silent procession through the city accepting alms from residents. Now, most of the people presenting alms to the monks are tourists, since so many Lao people have moved outside of the city center. About 50,000 people are thought to live in the Luang Prabang area, the city received more than 530,000 tourists in 2014.      PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    LuangPrabangTourism008.jpg
  • 11 MARCH 2016 - LUANG PRABANG, LAOS: Monks leave their temple in Luang Prabang for the tak bat while a Lao woman waits for monks to pass her. Luang Prabang was named a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1995. The move saved the city’s colonial architecture but the explosion of mass tourism has taken a toll on the city’s soul. According to one recent study, a small plot of land that sold for $8,000 three years ago now goes for $120,000. Many longtime residents are selling their homes and moving to small developments around the city. The old homes are then converted to guesthouses, restaurants and spas. The city is famous for the morning “tak bat,” or monks’ morning alms rounds. Every morning hundreds of Buddhist monks come out before dawn and walk in a silent procession through the city accepting alms from residents. Now, most of the people presenting alms to the monks are tourists, since so many Lao people have moved outside of the city center. About 50,000 people are thought to live in the Luang Prabang area, the city received more than 530,000 tourists in 2014.       PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    LuangPrabangTourism003.jpg
  • 12 MARCH 2016 - LUANG PRABANG, LAOS:  A man does subsistence fishing in the Nam Khan River near its confluence with the Mekong River in Luang Prabang, Laos. Laos is one of the poorest countries in Southeast Asia. Tourism and hydroelectric dams along the rivers that run through the country are driving the legal economy.      PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    DailyLifeLaos2106073.jpg
  • 12 MARCH 2016 - LUANG PRABANG, LAOS:  A man does subsistence fishing in the Nam Khan River near its confluence with the Mekong River in Luang Prabang, Laos. Laos is one of the poorest countries in Southeast Asia. Tourism and hydroelectric dams along the rivers that run through the country are driving the legal economy.      PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    DailyLifeLaos2106072.jpg
  • 12 MARCH 2016 - LUANG PRABANG, LAOS:  A man does subsistence fishing in the Nam Khan River near its confluence with the Mekong River in Luang Prabang, Laos. Laos is one of the poorest countries in Southeast Asia. Tourism and hydroelectric dams along the rivers that run through the country are driving the legal economy.      PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    DailyLifeLaos2106071.jpg
  • 12 MARCH 2016 - LUANG PRABANG, LAOS:  Tourists cross a bamboo foot bridge across the Nam Khan River near Luang Prabang. The bridge is seasonal. Villagers put it up every year, at the at the start of the dry season and take it down when the Nam Khan floods during the rainy season.  Laos is one of the poorest countries in Southeast Asia. Tourism and hydroelectric dams along the rivers that run through the country are driving the legal economy.     PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    DailyLifeLaos2106064.jpg
  • 11 MARCH 2016 - LUANG PRABANG, LAOS:   A man does subsistence fishing in the Nam Khan River near its confluence with the Mekong River in Luang Prabang, Laos. Laos is one of the poorest countries in Southeast Asia. Tourism and hydroelectric dams along the rivers that run through the country are driving the legal economy.     PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    DailyLifeLaos2106048.jpg
  • 11 MARCH 2016 - LUANG PRABANG, LAOS:   A man does subsistence fishing in the Nam Khan River near its confluence with the Mekong River in Luang Prabang, Laos. Laos is one of the poorest countries in Southeast Asia. Tourism and hydroelectric dams along the rivers that run through the country are driving the legal economy.     PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    DailyLifeLaos2106046.jpg
  • 11 MARCH 2016 - LUANG PRABANG, LAOS: Rope and chain on a ferry across the Mekong River near Luang Prabang. Laos is one of the poorest countries in Southeast Asia. Tourism and hydroelectric dams along the rivers that run through the country are driving the legal economy.       PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    DailyLifeLaos2106043.jpg
  • 11 MARCH 2016 - LUANG PRABANG, LAOS:  A man makes grilled fish stuffed with lemongrass in the community of Chomphet, across the Mekong River from Luang Prabang. Laos is one of the poorest countries in Southeast Asia. Tourism and hydroelectric dams along the rivers that run through the country are driving the legal economy.      PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    DailyLifeLaos2106025.jpg
  • 11 MARCH 2016 - LUANG PRABANG, LAOS:  A man repairs a small canoe in front of his home in the community of Chomphet, across the Mekong River from Luang Prabang. Laos is one of the poorest countries in Southeast Asia. Tourism and hydroelectric dams along the rivers that run through the country are driving the legal economy.      PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    DailyLifeLaos2106015.jpg
  • 11 MARCH 2016 - LUANG PRABANG, LAOS: A barber gives a man a shave in the community of Chomphet, across the Mekong River from Luang Prabang. Laos is one of the poorest countries in Southeast Asia. Tourism and hydroelectric dams along the rivers that run through the country are driving the legal economy.       PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    DailyLifeLaos2106013.jpg
  • 11 MARCH 2016 - LUANG PRABANG, LAOS: A crewman ties a ferry ferry to the riverbank after it crossed the Mekong River near Luang Prabang. Laos is one of the poorest countries in Southeast Asia. Tourism and hydroelectric dams along the rivers that run through the country are driving the legal economy.       PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    DailyLifeLaos2106010.jpg
  • 11 MARCH 2016 - LUANG PRABANG, LAOS: People disembark a ferry after it crossed the Mekong River near Luang Prabang. Laos is one of the poorest countries in Southeast Asia. Tourism and hydroelectric dams along the rivers that run through the country are driving the legal economy.       PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    DailyLifeLaos2106008.jpg
  • 11 MARCH 2016 - LUANG PRABANG, LAOS: A crewman ties a ferry ferry to the riverbank after it crossed the Mekong River near Luang Prabang. Laos is one of the poorest countries in Southeast Asia. Tourism and hydroelectric dams along the rivers that run through the country are driving the legal economy.       PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    DailyLifeLaos2106007.jpg
  • 13 MARCH 2016 - LUANG PRABANG, LAOS: A woman crosses a restored alley in a residential section of Luang Prabang. Luang Prabang was named a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1995. The move saved the city’s colonial architecture but the explosion of mass tourism has taken a toll on the city’s soul. According to one recent study, a small plot of land that sold for $8,000 three years ago now goes for $120,000. Many longtime residents are selling their homes and moving to small developments around the city. The old homes are then converted to guesthouses, restaurants and spas. The city is famous for the morning “tak bat,” or monks’ morning alms rounds. Every morning hundreds of Buddhist monks come out before dawn and walk in a silent procession through the city accepting alms from residents. Now, most of the people presenting alms to the monks are tourists, since so many Lao people have moved outside of the city center. About 50,000 people are thought to live in the Luang Prabang area, the city received more than 530,000 tourists in 2014.    PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    LuangPrabangTourism107.jpg
  • 13 MARCH 2016 - LUANG PRABANG, LAOS: The roofline of colonial era buildings that have been renovated into tourist hotels, spas and restaurants in Luang Prabang. Luang Prabang was named a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1995. The move saved the city’s colonial architecture but the explosion of mass tourism has taken a toll on the city’s soul. According to one recent study, a small plot of land that sold for $8,000 three years ago now goes for $120,000. Many longtime residents are selling their homes and moving to small developments around the city. The old homes are then converted to guesthouses, restaurants and spas. The city is famous for the morning “tak bat,” or monks’ morning alms rounds. Every morning hundreds of Buddhist monks come out before dawn and walk in a silent procession through the city accepting alms from residents. Now, most of the people presenting alms to the monks are tourists, since so many Lao people have moved outside of the city center. About 50,000 people are thought to live in the Luang Prabang area, the city received more than 530,000 tourists in 2014.    PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    LuangPrabangTourism098.jpg
  • 13 MARCH 2016 - LUANG PRABANG, LAOS: Chinese tourists watch dogs fight for dominance in a temple in Luang Prabang. Luang Prabang was named a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1995. The move saved the city’s colonial architecture but the explosion of mass tourism has taken a toll on the city’s soul. According to one recent study, a small plot of land that sold for $8,000 three years ago now goes for $120,000. Many longtime residents are selling their homes and moving to small developments around the city. The old homes are then converted to guesthouses, restaurants and spas. The city is famous for the morning “tak bat,” or monks’ morning alms rounds. Every morning hundreds of Buddhist monks come out before dawn and walk in a silent procession through the city accepting alms from residents. Now, most of the people presenting alms to the monks are tourists, since so many Lao people have moved outside of the city center. About 50,000 people are thought to live in the Luang Prabang area, the city received more than 530,000 tourists in 2014.    PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    LuangPrabangTourism097.jpg
  • 13 MARCH 2016 - LUANG PRABANG, LAOS: Chinese tourists watch dogs fight for dominance in a temple in Luang Prabang. Luang Prabang was named a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1995. The move saved the city’s colonial architecture but the explosion of mass tourism has taken a toll on the city’s soul. According to one recent study, a small plot of land that sold for $8,000 three years ago now goes for $120,000. Many longtime residents are selling their homes and moving to small developments around the city. The old homes are then converted to guesthouses, restaurants and spas. The city is famous for the morning “tak bat,” or monks’ morning alms rounds. Every morning hundreds of Buddhist monks come out before dawn and walk in a silent procession through the city accepting alms from residents. Now, most of the people presenting alms to the monks are tourists, since so many Lao people have moved outside of the city center. About 50,000 people are thought to live in the Luang Prabang area, the city received more than 530,000 tourists in 2014.    PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    LuangPrabangTourism096.jpg
  • 12 MARCH 2016 - LUANG PRABANG, LAOS: A colonial style shophouse turned into tourists' boutiques and souvenir shops in Luang Prabang. Luang Prabang was named a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1995. The move saved the city’s colonial architecture but the explosion of mass tourism has taken a toll on the city’s soul. According to one recent study, a small plot of land that sold for $8,000 three years ago now goes for $120,000. Many longtime residents are selling their homes and moving to small developments around the city. The old homes are then converted to guesthouses, restaurants and spas. The city is famous for the morning “tak bat,” or monks’ morning alms rounds. Every morning hundreds of Buddhist monks come out before dawn and walk in a silent procession through the city accepting alms from residents. Now, most of the people presenting alms to the monks are tourists, since so many Lao people have moved outside of the city center. About 50,000 people are thought to live in the Luang Prabang area, the city received more than 530,000 tourists in 2014.       PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    LuangPrabangTourism091.jpg
  • 13 MARCH 2016 - LUANG PRABANG, LAOS: A man repairs his fishing nets in front of his home in Luang Prabang. Scenes like this, once common in the town, are now rare because so many working class Lao people have sold their homes to real estate speculators and moved out of town. Luang Prabang was named a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1995. The move saved the city’s colonial architecture but the explosion of mass tourism has taken a toll on the city’s soul. According to one recent study, a small plot of land that sold for $8,000 three years ago now goes for $120,000. Many longtime residents are selling their homes and moving to small developments around the city. The old homes are then converted to guesthouses, restaurants and spas. The city is famous for the morning “tak bat,” or monks’ morning alms rounds. Every morning hundreds of Buddhist monks come out before dawn and walk in a silent procession through the city accepting alms from residents. Now, most of the people presenting alms to the monks are tourists, since so many Lao people have moved outside of the city center. About 50,000 people are thought to live in the Luang Prabang area, the city received more than 530,000 tourists in 2014.    PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    LuangPrabangTourism067.jpg
  • 12 MARCH 2016 - LUANG PRABANG, LAOS:  Tourists at Wat Sensoukharam in Luang Prabang. Luang Prabang was named a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1995. The move saved the city’s colonial architecture but the explosion of mass tourism has taken a toll on the city’s soul. According to one recent study, a small plot of land that sold for $8,000 three years ago now goes for $120,000. Many longtime residents are selling their homes and moving to small developments around the city. The old homes are then converted to guesthouses, restaurants and spas. The city is famous for the morning “tak bat,” or monks’ morning alms rounds. Every morning hundreds of Buddhist monks come out before dawn and walk in a silent procession through the city accepting alms from residents. Now, most of the people presenting alms to the monks are tourists, since so many Lao people have moved outside of the city center. About 50,000 people are thought to live in the Luang Prabang area, the city received more than 530,000 tourists in 2014.      PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    LuangPrabangTourism065.jpg
  • 11 MARCH 2016 - LUANG PRABANG, LAOS:  A vendor sets up her souvenir stand in the handicraft market in Luang Prabang. Luang Prabang was named a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1995. The move saved the city’s colonial architecture but the explosion of mass tourism has taken a toll on the city’s soul. According to one recent study, a small plot of land that sold for $8,000 three years ago now goes for $120,000. Many longtime residents are selling their homes and moving to small developments around the city. The old homes are then converted to guesthouses, restaurants and spas. The city is famous for the morning “tak bat,” or monks’ morning alms rounds. Every morning hundreds of Buddhist monks come out before dawn and walk in a silent procession through the city accepting alms from residents. Now, most of the people presenting alms to the monks are tourists, since so many Lao people have moved outside of the city center. About 50,000 people are thought to live in the Luang Prabang area, the city received more than 530,000 tourists in 2014.      PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ
    LuangPrabangTourism061.jpg
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Jack Kurtz, Photojournalist & Travel Photographer

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