In Luang Prabang, the former royal capital of Laos, the ancient Buddhist tradition of Tak Bat, the morning alms round, is practised each day at dawn. Emerging silently from the town’s 35 temples, hundreds of barefoot monks in orange robes walk in single file through the streets to collect food from the local people. In the early morning mist, the lay community – men, women and children – kneel or sit with bowls of sticky rice to await the monks to whom they will offer it, an act performed in serenity and prayer. By giving, they earn merit and blessings, participating in a living ritual that is practised throughout the country and throughout Southeast Asia. But this is a practice under threat.