Mount Phousi is Luang Prabang’s holy mountain, and at its very top sit’s the 20 meter high Vat Chamsi Stupa. There are 328 steps to climb to reach the top, but from there you get a 360 degree panoramic view of the whole city. On the way up there are vendors selling lotus flowers and other sorts of offerings. The tradition is to leave your offering at the top or somewhere special along the way.
We see an older lady with some small birds in tiny bamboo cages. We are told you set them free at the top, essentially seeking good luck. This reminded us of the paper lanterns in Chiang Mai which were set a blaze and floated up to the sky carrying wishes for good luck. We decided good luck or not, at least it would be good luck for the bird so we bought one, carried the little guy to the top of the mountain, and set him free. Funny thing, all the little birds seemed to circle around the area. We were told that their wings were clipped and they would be in another cage for sale tomorrow! We choose to believe that our bird flew to freedom - even if he never left Mount Phousi.
