Luang Prabang(Lao: ຫລວງພະບາງ) has over a history of over one thousand years, it is well known for its numerous Buddhist temples and monasteries, but for Choumeizai, the most impressive is hundreds of monks(Dhutanga) collecting alms on the street in the morning.
Before dawn, many worshippers and tourists have already been waiting on both sides of the road, 'collecting alms by the monks' is one of the important 'landscape' of Luang Prabang.
Worshippers and tourists can buy the alms from the hawkers, no need to prepare by themselves.
All monks are dressed in orange kasaya, they turn the dim street to a vivid and colorful orange stream in a few minutes.
Each worshipper has a small basket with steam sticky rice inside, when the monks walk through, the worshipper will pinch some of the rice and put it in the golden bowls of the monks.
After the monks left, the worshippers will put the rest of the rice on the railing, the monks will also give the extra alms back to the hawkers.
Dhutanga (Sanskrit: dhūta) is an ascetic practice, the first Dhutanga Practitioner is Maha Kassapa Thero. The dhutanga austerities are meant to deepen the practice of meditation and assist in living the Holy Life.
