Luang Prabang - Tak Bak

The days start early in Luang Prabang. At 04:00 you can hear the gongs being sounded in the temples to waken the monks who presumably do a bit of chanting before heading out to receive alms at dawn. The giving of alms to the monks is known as tak bak.

I am not an early riser so have rarely seen monks collecting alms on the streets of Thailand; but what I have seen has been a monk or two walking along a street collecting alms as they go. In Luang Prabang it is quite a different affair, with large numbers of monks walking in single file through the streets.

As dawn breaks (around 0620 this week), the local residents come out from their homes and take up position on the edge of the road. It is still quite dark, cold and misty, and very quiet. Then a little bell sounds in the distance, as people further up the road spot the monks. As the monks come into our view, one of the old ladies taps a tin can loudly to tell those further down the road; it’s a monk alert neighbourhood watch system.

Here they come.

Here they are.

It’s an impressive sight, and the total silence apart from the swish of robes and occasional clink of a food container add to the experience. I made some slow shutter speed shots to give the impression of the monks drifting through the neighbourhood.

Naturally, while this is an integral and important part of daily life to the residents of Luang Prabang, it is also of huge interests to tourists. I was certainly intrigued, otherwise I would not have dragged myself out of bed at 0600 every morning. Some visitors give alms to the monks and she who must be obeyed and her mother were kneeling on mats to hand out food provided by the hotel. With all the food provided by both residents and visitors, the monks seem to collect more than they need; so some enterprising poor children offer to take any surpluses.

Hoping for a donation.

Here comes breakfast!

This old lady had her alms in a container, but left the lid of the container on the ground so she could receive some of her alms back from the monks:

It’s a great privilege to photograph, although the low light makes it a little tricky, and it’s important to show respect to the monks and the alms-givers while getting your shots. I tried to stay a reasonable distance away, and use a long lens if I wanted to photograph the monks head on. Of course, there were the usual inconsiderate jerks sticking cameras into monk’s faces and using flash. None of the idiots were Micro Four Thirds users I was gratified to note.

Here are a few more shots from my tak bak experience:

All photos: Panasonic GX1 with Panasonic 7-14mm, Summilux 25mm, Olympus 45mm or Olympus 75mm.

Still to come in our series of exclusive Pattaya Days reports from Luang Prabang:

The markets – Want to buy a live duck and a T-shirt, I’ll tell you where to go. Sunsets – Where to watch them (Warning, will contain sunset photographs, may be upsetting for children). Bicycle woes – What happens when you put an old man on a child’s bike with no brakes and send him up a hill. And down again. Hmong New Year – Why it’s a load of balls, but in a good way.

Comments 🔗

2012-12-23 | Larry says

Love the blog and photos

2012-12-23 | Grant says

Monks - the new horses!

2012-12-23 | Robin Parmar says

Thanks for sharing all your lovely work this year as always. Have a great Christmas!

2012-12-23 | Wolfgang Lonien says

Wow, that’s so interesting. Thanks for sharing.

2012-12-23 | Kevin Moore says

Love the photo’s but you’re not helping my places to visit list it’s getting longer lol. Keep up with the great posts and images and hope you have a great Christmas.

2012-12-23 | Barry says

I don’t wish to sound disrespectful, even if I am, but temples are run as a business these days. Everything they do is charged for, such as chanting at a funeral. Yet they still go around collecting free food. Doesn’t seem quite right to me. Having ranted quietly, time to say really bril photos from LP. And I echo the thanks for some great material over the past year (apart from levitating horsey shots).

2012-12-24 | Grant says

Fair point Barry but that’s a western judgement and the first thing I learned about SE Asia was that to be happy you had to check your western baggage into left-luggage at the air port and walk away from it. It’s their ball-park and they’re playing by their own rules and good manners dictate that we should observe, smile and respect that.

2012-12-24 | Chang Noi says

Smile and respect but also remark that there are other (imo better) ways of paying respect to the society.

2012-12-24 | Grant says

Ivo I’d have you elucidate on that but instead I’ll wish you a Merry Xmas, have a great New Year, and keep up the good work!

2012-12-24 | Spike says

You also have to check your Thai baggage into left-luggage when you visit Laos. Thai Buddhism is a distorted commercial enterprise designed to extract as much money as possible from followers into the coffers of temples and monks. Such things may exist in Laos, but I saw none of it. Some of the larger temples charge entry fees, but the tickets seem to indicate that this is organised by the government. Other than that, there is zero evidence of commercialism. Temples are not selling anything, there are no collection boxes for merit money and we never saw a local visiting a temple; their main relationship with the monks seems to be at the morning tak bak. The younger monks spend their days in class rooms, and after classes are finished at 1600 they do some gardening or other odd jobs, or continue their studies in the temple garden; not producing endless amulets to flog to their followers. It looks and feels very different to Thailand; and far more pleasant as a result.

2012-12-24 | Grant says

You make a very good point indeed and one which I know only too well. Our local temple in Tharua, Wat Satue, is over commercialised to a ghastly extent, famous for miles around, and rolling in dosh. The War Department’s father’s family temple, Chum Sam, is just across the river and still firmly in the now feeble grip of her grandfather’s 98 year old cousin who has been Abbott for many years. He is a fine old man and the temple is such a lovely spot, and nothing ever happens. All is peace and serenity, all the time, and I’m going there when jesus wants me for a sunbeam and if not there will be some heavy duty haunting going on around the parish! I imagine it’s much like the ones you saw in Lao…

2012-12-24 | Chang Noi says

Different robes, different brand-names in Buddhism. I could elucidate on that for hours but that would be bloody boring.

2012-12-24 | Grant says

Hats off to an honest man!

2012-12-26 | Pete says

Yes, but they don’t seem to be able to get the same ‘anti-gravity’ look about them as the horses do.

2012-12-26 | Grant says

We’ll have to wait until the pavement’s hot and they’ve lost their sandals… Or Uncle Spike could lead them in the traditional “Mot Daeng” dance. I’m reliably informed that that involves significant levels of levitation, flailing of limbs, slapping of extremities and the loud chanting of strange and powerful oaths…