Howdy ho good people of Kunming,

Does anyone know if there is a Chinese embassy in Luang Prabang, or do I have to go to Vientiane?

Thought there was one, but have not been able to find any info about this on the interweb.

try googling "Chinese consulate-general in Luang Prabang".

try googling "Chinese consulate-general in Luang Prabang".

Thank you Magnifico :)

There's a Chinese consulate in Chiangmai, Thailand - they handle Chinese visas and are friendlier than the visa office in Hong Kong, if that's what you're looking for.

Mr. H, I was in Luang Prabang on a visa run around 3 years ago. There was no embassy there at that time, but a few small travel companies offered a visa service.

This entailed giving them your passport, and paying a fee, depending on the speed of the visa application. I payed $100 American for a 3-4 day service, if memory serves. So, yes, I handed over my passport to a complete stranger (travel agent) who had someone go to Vientiane and process my visa.

When they came back, I found they had given me a 3 month tourist visa, although I was only looking for 1 month. I was very happy about the results, but very nervous about the process. However, everything turned out well (aside from the steep price).

There's only one main street in Luang Prabang where most of the hostels/hotels and western style restaurants are located and this is where you can find the travel agents (where the bus drops you off, so no need to stress). If you want to take a chance and try it, I leave the choice up to you. This was 3 years ago, so prices, procedures might be different or they might have stopped the service, so no guarantees. Otherwise, I have also been to Vientiane for a visa, which is doable.

Good Luck!

Not a big distance from Luang Prabang to the capital. Take the early morning bus you will be arrived by evening.

If you are travelling overland from Kunming to Laos for a visa, note that Chiang Mai (which has a Chinese consulate) is closer and will take far less time to reach from Kunming via Jinghong than going all the way down to Vientiane.