Street Theatre or Spiritual Tradition?

Luang Prabang

Tourists taking shots of Buddhist Monks in Luang Prabang 

Laotian culture is extremely connected to Buddhism. While the region is very ethnically diverse, Buddhism remains a point of national identity. As such, the tradition of collecting alms is an important and deeply spiritual process. Local residents wait outside their homes with food such as sticky rice, a staple of Laos cuisine, to place in the monks’ bowls. For a student traveller on a budget, if you are willing to wake up early in the morning, the ceremony is free to observe and gives great insight into Laos culture. 

However, the origin of the ceremony is religious and thus not originally intended for the tourist or traveller. Despite this, in Luang Prabang tourists have turned the procession of monks into a spectacle to observe. Talking to the New York Times, artist Nithakhong Somsanith described it as 'safari' or 'theatre' stating that tourists 'look at the monks the same as monkeys'. What started as a religious ceremony has been transformed into a type of street performance.  Hotels and tour companies now offer ‘alms packages’ where you can pay someone to provide you with sticky rice and a spot on the ‘alms giving circuit’. Main street has become increasingly full of tourists. 

The procession is an unwilling performance and is not 'propelled by a critical impulse', a phrase Jacqueline Millner uses to describe street art. Instead the tradition has been transformed by the gaze of the tourist.

It may be better to observe alms giving in the side streets where there are fewer tourists and instead mostly locals participating. Perhaps the most respectful thing is to watch the procession from a significant distance, like from a local cafe or your accommodation, and avoiding becoming part of the 'theatre' yourself.