The Forgotten Crypt of Henri Mouhot (1826-1861)
Last updated October 27, 2000

Outside of Luang Prabang, Laos, lies the crypt of French explorer Henri Mouhot. Although the wonders of Angkor were never completely lost, it was the publication of Mouhot's Voyage a Siam et dans le Cambodge (sorry for the missing accent) that once again brought the ancient city to the attention of the world at large and led to his reputation as the "rediscoverer" of the Angkorian world.

While trying to discover a southern route into China by following the Mekong River north, Mouhot died of malaria outside of Luang Prabang  in 1861. He was 35. He was buried in a crypt overlooking the Khan River not far from where he died.

In an ironic twist, his own tomb was consumed by the jungle and lost until it was accidentally rediscovered in 1990.

Photos courtesy of Don Entz