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On the night of the full moon the Wat Si Muang celebrations move crosstown to Pha That Luang, the most sacred of Lao Buddhist shrines, and the symbol of the country. This stupa houses the breast bone of the Buddha. Tens of thousands from all over Laos attend this annual festival.

In essence it's religious, but in the surrounding space the sacred gives way inexorably to the profane, with market stalls, amusement rides, and food vendors noisily vying for attention.

Our apartment is over a mile away from That Luang, but into the wee hours we could still hear the restless, chaotic roar of events here.