There are two beautiful Buddhist temples or vats located in the older part of Luang Namtha town near the airport. Vat Bang Vieng Tai in Vieng Tai village just north of the airport and Vat Bang Luang Khone south of the airport were built by the valley’s Tai Yuan population (locally known as Tai Kalorm) and are well worth a visit.
That Phoum Pouk is located near Nam Ngaen village on a hill in the northeast part of the Namtha Valley. The original stupa ws constructed in 1628 to demarcate neutral terriory between the kingdoms of Lane Xang (centered in Luang Prabang) and Lanna (centered in Chiang Mai). In 1966 the old stupa was destroyed when an American plane dropped a bomb on it. The new monument seen besides the older, ruined stupa was constructed in 2003.