At the front of the Palace are the former reception halls, that are now used as the primary exhibition halls. The entrance hall contains a number of Buddha statues, as well as a golden throne used by the Supreme Patriarch of Laos Buddhism during Buddhist ceremonies. Behind the entrance hall is the King’s reception room. It contains statues of the last three Laotian Kings, the murals on its walls depict scenes of daily life in Luang Prabang during the early 20th century. The Queen’s reception room exhibits presents received from foreign state visitors.
At the center of the Palace is the Throne Room, topped with a Laos style spire. The Throne Room with red painted walls decorated with glass mosaics contains a carved throne shaped like a howdah, a seat put on the back of an elephant. The throne was used in previous centuries by the Kings of Laos to travel the Kingdom.
A glass case contains a number of very old gold and crystal Buddha images from the 15th and 16th centuries. Some of them were found in the That Makmo, the stupa of the Wat Wisunalat temple.
The private quarters of the Royal Family are to the back and on either side of the Throne Room. They are kept in the same state as 1975, when the monarchy was overthrown and the Royals left the Palace. The Royal bedrooms, dining room and library still contain the original furniture.
In a corner of the Palace grounds is the Haw Pha Bang, the Royal temple that was built to enshrine the Phra Bang Buddha image.
Former Royal Palace