Pakbeng

Main street, Pak Beng

Pak Beng (Lao: ປາກແບ່ງ) is a small village in Laos, on the Mekong River about halfway between the Thai border at Huay Xai and Luang Prabang, Laos. Pak Beng is connected by a sealed road with Oudomxai along the Nam Beng River.

Geography

Pak Beng had its main road paved in 2005 and also just completed a hydroelectric station downriver thanks to a World Bank loan. Before then, the town was dependent on electrical generators for electricity.

There is a small wat to be found in the hills not far from the village. It is an example of a Buddhist temple from the former Lanna Kingdom. Many of the old temples had been destroyed during wars with the Thai Kingdom 300 years before.

History

During the Laotian Civil War, Pak Beng was the southern terminus of the freshly constructed Route 46 from Yunnan Province, Peoples Republic of China.[1]:319

Tourism

The town is the major stop for boats running between Luang Prabang and Huay Xai. The slow boats which run between Huay Xai and Luang Prabang over a period of two days spend the night moored in Pak Beng.

References

  1. ↑ Conboy, Kenneth; Morrison, James (1995). Shadow War: The CIA's Secret War in Laos. Paladin Press. ISBN 978-1-58160-535-8.
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Coordinates: 19°51′0″N 101°33′0″E / 19.85000°N 101.55000°E / 19.85000; 101.55000

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