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Phou Si ("holy hill") is both the geographical and spiritual centre of the city, a miniature Mount Meru, the Mount Olympus of Hindu-Buddhist cosmology. The hill's peak affords a stunning panorama of the city, and can be reached by three different routes. The first and most straightforward is via the stairway directly opposite the main gate of the Royal Palace Museum. A small entrance fee must be paid before ascending and this is when you should ask to be let into the adjacent sim which is normally padlocked shut. Known as Wat Pa Houak , this fine little temple contains the city's most fascinating murals, which depict Lao, Chinese, Persian and European inhabitants of Louang Phabang. From the sim it is a steep but shady climb to the peak. The second approach, on the other side of the hill, is up a zigzag stairway flanked by whitewashed naga, but is only recommended if you want to dodge the entrance fee. The third and most rambling but atmospheric approach is via Wat Pha Phoutthabat near Phou Si's northern foot (across from Saynamkhan Guest House). There are actually three monasteries in this compound, and the most interesting structure is the sim of Wat Pa Khe , a tall, imposing building with an unusual inward-leaning facade. Most noteworthy here are a pair of carved shutters to the left of the main entrance, said to depict seventeenth-century Dutch traders. Behind and to the left of the sim is a stairway leading to the "Buddha's footprint" , a larger-than-life stylized footprint complete with the 108 auspicious marks after which Wat Pha Phoutthabat was named. The shrine housing the footprint is usually locked. The path meanders up past stone monks' quarters and the remains of an old anti-aircraft gun, to the summit, crowned by the stupa That Chomsi .
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