A buddhist monk clad in a kasaya was crossing a small bamboo bridge

Buddhist monk crossing bamboo bridge — Shot in Luang Prabang, Laos

There was a bridge made of bamboo across the Nam Khan River running beside Luang Prabang. It was a crude bridge that would be swept away in a flash if the river swelled. In fact, it is said to be washed away in the rainy season. When the river rises, the bridge is quickly swept away. Rather than resisting the threat of nature and building a sturdy bridge to keep it from being washed away, I thought it was very Buddhist or Asian to just let it flow.

As I watched, a Buddhist monk in an orange Kasaya appeared and began to cross the bridge. He must have finished his day's work and was on his way home. Unlike many of the other monks, this monk was not wearing a parasol. It seems that some monks don't mind getting a sunburn. Not only this monk, but many locals appeared and disappeared across the bridge to the other side. This bridge is the only bridge in the area. It had become an important infrastructure for the locals.

By the way, locals can cross the bridge, which is an important infrastructure of the town, for free. Tourists like me, however, had to pay to cross it. Unlike the locals, I could not cross the bridge casually. Whether you think this is a part of noblesse oblige as you have money and therefore have a duty to support the infrastructure, or whether you think it is like being asked for coins at a barrier set up by bandits, etc., is quite different from your impression of the bridge.

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