LUANG PRABANG, Laos (AP) – President Barack Obama has toured a Buddhist temple and paid tribute to Lao culture after pledging the U.S. would fulfill its “profound moral and humanitarian obligation” to clean up millions of unexploded bombs in the country.
Obama’s visit to Luang Prabang, in mountainous northern Laos, helped showcase a rich cultural and religious heritage that many in the West know little about.
Luang Prabang sits along the Mekong River and is on the UNESCO World Heritage List.
Obama’s first stop Wednesday was Wat Xieng Thong, a 16th century complex of ornate gold buildings known as the “Temple of the Golden City.”
He also plans to answer questions posed by young Southeast Asians during a town hall-style event at a local university.