In a transfer that has surprised many within the tourism trade, the as soon as necessary Vacationer Data Middle in Luang Prabang, situated in entrance of the evening market on the nook of Sisavangvong Highway, has been remodeled right into a Chinese language sizzling pot restaurant.
This sudden change has sparked a heated debate amongst locals and vacationers alike, with many questioning the knowledge behind such a choice. Whereas proponents argue that it brings a brand new culinary expertise to the town, critics level out that it undermines Luang Prabang’s cultural identification and heritage.
Luang Prabang has been a UNESCO World Heritage Website since 9 December 1995a fantastically preserved city that displays the harmonious mix of conventional Lao structure and European colonial influences from the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. Its distinctive panorama tells the story of how these two distinct cultures merged, making a wealthy and traditionally important city setting.
The transformation of a key vacationer facility right into a restaurant not solely diminishes the town’s means to protect its cultural essence but in addition shifts the main target away from its historic significance.
Authorities’s Response
“The rationale for permitting the restaurant to function is to supply a wide range of meals to draw vacationers,” an official from the provincial Ministry of Data and Tourism, who needs to be nameless for safety causes.
“Once we go to their nation, they’ve our native meals [Lao food] prepared for us, so we merely need to do the identical [by having Chinese food ready]”
Addressing the potential backlash from the general public, the official stated that it’s “merely the present societal pattern which is typical.”
In the meantime, data from the World Heritage Safety Division acknowledged that the vacationer data middle continues to be in operation. It reopened on 25 February after present process renovations from 20 January to 19 February.
The division clarified that the renovations have been essential as a consequence of termite and moth harm that had severely affected the picket construction.
Whereas the primary ground continues to function the vacationer data middle, the second ground has been transformed right into a privately owned Chinese language sizzling pot restaurant. The division additionally reaffirmed that the renovations have been carried out in compliance with the preservation plan and present rules.
Social Media Backlash
The transformation of the constructing has drawn sharp criticism on social media, notably on Fb, the place customers have expressed considerations over doable violations of heritage website rules. Many argue that the renovation could also be unlawful, citing the elimination of the constructing’s previous balcony to create a bigger room upstairs.
“Based on the rules for the renovation of heritage buildings, the outside look can’t be modified,” stated one Fb consumer.
“How ought to the approving occasion assessment the design? If the investor does it with out notification, the authorities ought to take strict measures as a result of it reveals that they don’t respect Lao legal guidelines and rules. Sooner or later, they’ll make extra errors.”
One other consumera vacationer who “liked Luang Prabang 7 years in the past, not Luang Prabang in 2025” stated that the town not looks like a world heritage website.“Laos’ authorities allowed foreigners to function with out respecting Lao occupations to maintain Lao identification,” he stated.
“Furthermore, the eating places alongside the river have been irresponsible. Should you take a look at the facet, it was filled with rubbish and it seemed soiled. Should you can’t management the individuals who litter, the eating places ought to be accountable for cleansing it up as a result of it’s their space.”
As debates over the transformation of the vacationer data middle proceed, considerations persist about how such adjustments could affect Luang Prabang’s identification as a world heritage website.
In 2023a Thai YouTuber reported that Luang Prabang could be stripped of its UNESCO World Heritage Website standing, prompting a fast response from the Lao authorities who denied the allegation.
