The ritual of alms giving is an ancient tradition in Buddhism. Alms giving in Luang Prabang is an opportunity to observe a deeply spiritual ceremony that is still crucial to the fabric of Laos’ society.
Unfortunately, it has also become something of a tourist circus in certain parts of the city. But it is still possible to enjoy alms giving in a peaceful and respectful way. As long as you follow some simples rules.
We visited the morning alms ceremony in both peak season (January) and off-season (July). As we wanted to see the differences when there were less people around. Use this guide to help you enjoy Luang Prabang’s Alms Giving ceremony without feeling like you’re doing the wrong thing or missing out on what makes it so special to witness.
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History of Alms Giving
Within Theravada Buddhist culture, giving alms is an important custom whereby everyday people give food donations to the monks. It’s not so much an act of charity, and more a spiritual obligation that bonds the physical needs of the monks with the spiritual needs of the people.
Alms giving in Laos dates back to the 14th century when Luang Prabang became the capital of the Lan Xang Kingdom.
The giving of alms dates back to the historical Buddha Siddhartha Gautama. In Laos, it is known as “tak bat” (in Thailand, it is “dak bat”).
It is one of the fundamental teachings he gave as a way to connect the monastic and lay communities. It’s key to emphasizing selflessness, compassion, and generosity which are key to Buddhist teachings.
Meaning of Alms Giving
People offer food, clothing, and other basic necessities to monks and nuns to aid them in their spiritual endeavours. In return, the community receives teachings, guidance, and blessings from the monks and nuns.
This mutually beneficial process gives the monks and nuns the things they need to survive and allows the lay people to accumulate good karma and progress on their own spiritual journey.
This interdependence helps foster deeper feelings of community and gratitude. It also reinforces key Buddhist teachings of the impermanence of material possessions and the value of sharing.
Alms Giving in Luang Prabang
At sunrise (usually around 5.30am), the monks and novices walk barefoot in meditative silence collecting alms from the devout locals. This is usually in the form of sticky rice, fruit, and snacks.
If you’re walking around Luang Prabang at sunrise you’ll see locals sitting on small chairs with baskets of food. Groups of monks clad in vibrant saffron robes then set off on their daily journey to collect the alms.
Observing the Alms Giving
The busiest area to observe the giving of alms is on Sisavangvong Road. You’ll see plastic stools lined up outside the big temples to allow locals and tourists to sit comfortably awaiting the monks. There are also people selling rice, fruits and snacks for you to give to the monks.
As one of the more popular things to do in Luang Prabang, there are signs everywhere informing you of the rules of observing and participating in the giving of alms.
Unfortunately, these rules are not well adhered to. It’s very common to see tourists with their phones basically in monks faces as they collect alms. Or of people using the ceremony to get photos of themselves handing out snacks to the monks.
This is obviously deeply disrespectful to an ancient tradition. If you are not Buddhist or feel you will gain spiritually from the act of giving alms then you shouldn’t participate.
For taking photos you should be AT LEAST 3m away from the monks and preferably much more. Also be aware that many of the monks, especially the novices, are children so don’t take or share photos of their faces.
Luckily, almost all the big groups stick to this main road. So if you’d like to observe alms giving respectfully and without feeling like you’re contributing to the debasement of a deeply spiritual ritual, head down one of the side streets near the smaller Wats.
Alms Giving Etiquette
- Dress respectfully – Shoulders, legs, and chest should all be covered (regardless of gender)
- Observe in silence – This is a spiritual ceremony and should be treated with reverence
- Give monks space – Stay at least 3m away from the monks and lay people and preferably on the other side of the street
- Do not touch the monks – Not touching strangers feels like a solid life rule. But women are also not supposed to approach and pass offerings directly to the monks. Instead, they should put offerings to one side and allow the monks to collect themselves
- No flash photography – Yes, the light levels are low when the morning alms giving takes place. But make sure to turn off your flash as it’s very disturbing for everything to have camera flashes going off constantly – they’re not celebrities and you’re not the paparazzi!
- Only take part if it is meaningful for you to do so – This is not a photo-op, this is a meaningful religious ceremony. So if it doesn’t bring meaning to you, stand back and observe instead
- Stay out of the way – Don’t get in the way of the monks’ procession. Stand back and use a big zoom lens on your camera rather than getting closer
Alms Giving in other parts of Laos
As a popular part of any Luang Prabang itinerary, this is probably the most famous location to observe the daily ceremony. But it takes place anywhere in Laos that has a temple. So you don’t need to only see it here.
The number of temples in Luang Prabang makes it one of the easiest places to observe it. But if you’re interested in the ceremony from a spiritual point of view then you’re probably better trying other places or away from the main tourist drag.
Final Thoughts
The alms giving in Luang Prabang is one of the biggest tourist draws for the country. This does mean that on the main street it feels a lot like a theme park attraction and not an important spiritual ceremony.
Luckily almost no one wanders away from this street and the giving of alms happens all over the city so just a couple of streets away you can have a much nicer experience and not feel like you’re intruding.
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