Luang Prabang in the context of "Luang Prabang province"

A tributary, or an affluent, is a stream or river that flows into a larger stream (main stem or "parent"), river, or a lake. A tributary does not flow directly into a sea or ocean. Tributaries, and the main stem river into which they flow, drain the surrounding drainage basin of its surface water and groundwater, leading the water out into an ocean, another river, or into an endorheic basin.

The Irtysh, a tributary of the Ob river, is the longest tributary river in the world with a length of 4,248 km (2,640 mi).The Madeira River is the largest tributary river by volume in the world with an average discharge of 31,200 m/s (1.1 million cu ft/s).

The Nam Khan (Lao: ນ້ຳຄານ) is a river in Laos that is a major tributary of the river Mekong, with which it joins at Luang Prabang.

The Nam Khan river is 935 km long and the catchment area is 7490 km (or 7620 km); the population of the catchment is about 122,700 (1996).

This article describes the cultural aspects of Laos, a landlocked country in Southeast Asia.

The Kingdom of Luang Phrabang, also called Kingdom of Luang Prabang was formed in 1707 as a result of the split of the Kingdom of Lan Xang. When the kingdom split, Muang Phuan became a tributary state of Luang Prabang. Over the years the monarchy weakened even more, and was forced to become a vassal various times to the Burmese and the Siamese monarchies.

A French consulate was established in the capital of Luang Prabang in 1885. The kingdom was at this time a Siamese vassal, who feared French plans of annexing of Luang Prabang. A treaty was signed on 7 May 1886 between Siam and France recognizing Siamese suzerainty over Luang Prabang and neighboring Lao kingdoms. France conducted expeditions in the region, searching for the possibility of establishing French territory there. A particularly destructive attack during the Haw wars by the Chinese Black Flag Army in 1887 saw King Oun Kham request French protection. This was accepted and signed on 27 March 1889, against Siamese protest.

The Phra Bang (Lao: ພະບາງ, pronounced [pʰāʔ bàːŋ]; Thai: พระบาง, pronounced [pʰráʔ bāːŋ], "Royal Buddha Image in the Dispelling Fear mudra") is a statue of Buddha in the city of Luang Prabang, Laos; it is the namesake of that city. The statue stands at 83 centimetres (33 in), with palms facing forward, cast using thong, an alloy of bronze, gold, and silver. According to local lore, it was cast in Ceylon (now Sri Lanka) sometime between the 1st and 9th century. However, the features of the image suggest a much later Khmer origin.