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Laos: The Pak Ou Cave in Upper Laos, illustrated in 1867 by French expeditioner Louis Delaporte.

Laos: The Pak Ou Cave in Upper Laos, illustrated in 1867 by French expeditioner Louis Delaporte.

The Pak Ou Cave—plus the Tham Ting (lower cave) and the Tham Theung (upper cave)—are caves situated near the confluence of the Mekong and the Ou rivers some 25 km north of Luang Prabang. The caves are notable for their miniature Buddha sculptures, which have been placed on altars among the stalagmites by local villagers for centuries. After visiting the cave on the Mekong expedition in 1867, Francis Garnier described coming upon the cave as a “striking impression.”

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