Wat Xieng Thong (or Temple of the Golden City) is a Buddhist temple (wat), located on the northern tip of the peninsula of Luang Phrabang, Laos. Wat Xieng Thong is one of the most important of Lao monasteries and remains a significant monument to the spirit of religion, royalty and traditional art. There are over twenty structures on the grounds including a sim, shrines, pavilions and residences, in addition to its gardens of various flowers, ornamental shrubs and trees. Luang Prabang, or Louangphrabang (Lao: à º«à º¼à º§à ºâ¡Ã ºžà º£à º°à ºšà º²à ºâ¡, literally: Royal Buddha Image (in the Dispelling Fear mudra), pronounced [lÃâaÃ
â¹ pðra.bàÃÂÃ
â¹]), is a city located in north central Laos, at the confluence of the Nam Khan river and Mekong River about 300 km north of Vientiane. It is the capital of Luang Prabang Province. The population of the city is about 50,000.nnThe city was formerly the capital of a kingdom of the same name. It had also been known by the ancient name of Chiang Thong. Until the communist takeover in 1975, it was the royal capital and seat of government of the Kingdom of Laos. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.nnThe main part of the city consists of four main roads located on a peninsula between the Nam Khan and Mekong rivers.
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