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Overview
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Popular Places
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Laos
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Vientiane - Sights
Buddhas
Address cnr Th Lan Xang & Th Setthathirat, Xieng Khuan
Keyword: monument, royal
Along the western side of the cloister is a pile of Buddhas that
were damaged during the 1828 Siamese-Lao war. And in the sǐm
(ordination hall) a slightly damaged Khmer-style Naga Buddha - which
depicts the Buddha seated on a coiled cobra deity ( naga ),
sheltered by the naga 's multiheaded hood - is also on display just
in front of the main seated Buddha; it is believed to date from the
13th century and was brought from a nearby Khmer site.
The sǐm is surrounded by a colonnaded terrace in the Bangkok style
and topped by a five-tiered roof. The interior walls bear hundreds
of Buddha niches similar to those in the cloister, as well as
beautiful - but decaying - Jataka murals depicting stories of the
Buddha's past lives. Portions of the Bangkok-style murals are
unrestored 1820s originals, while others are a 1913 restoration.
Other attractions in Vientiane:
Lao National Museum | Papaya Spa | Patuxai | Pha That Luang | That Dam | Wat Si Muang | Wat Si Saket | Wat Sok Pa Luang | Xieng Khuan
Haw Pha Kaeo
Address: Th Setthathirat, Presidential Palace
Keyword: art gallery, museum, religious/spiritual
Once a royal temple built specifically to house the famed Emerald
Buddha, Haw Pha Kaeo is today a national museum of religious art.
According to the Lao, the temple was originally built in 1565 by
command of King Setthathirat, who on inheriting the Lan Xang throne
moved the capital from
Luang Prabang to
Vientiane
and brought with him the so-called Emerald Buddha (Pha Kaeo in Lao,
which means Jewel Buddha Image - the image is actually made of a
type of jade).
Wat Pha Kaeo also served as Setthathirat's personal place of
worship. Following a skirmish with the Lao in 1779, the Siamese
stole the Emerald Buddha and installed it in Bangkok's Wat Phra Kaew.
Later, during the Siamese-Lao war of 1828, Vientiane's Wat Pha Kaeo
was razed. The temple was finally rebuilt with French help between
1936 and 1942, supposedly following the original plan exactly.
However, the 'original' 16th century plan looks nothing like its
contemporaries, instead bearing an uncanny resemblance to
19th-century Bangkok-style sǐm . The floor and the main wooden door
at the southern end - with its angels carved in high relief that are
reminiscent of Angkorean apasaras - are notable survivors of the
original remains. These aside, today's Haw Pha Kaeo is impressive
mainly for its size. The rococo ornamentation that runs up and down
every door, window and base looks unfinished. But some of the best
examples of Buddhist sculpture found in Laos are kept here, with a
dozen or so prominent sculptures displayed along the surrounding
terrace. These include Dvaravati-style stone Buddha from between the
6th and 9th centuries; several bronze standing and sitting Lao-style
Buddhas - including the 'Calling for Rain' (standing with hands at
his sides), 'Offering Protection' (palms stretched out in front) and
'Contemplating the Tree of Enlightenment' (hands crossed at the
wrist in front) poses; and a collection of inscribed Lao and Mon
stelae. Most of the Lao bronzes are missing their usnisa (flame
finial). Inside the sǐm are more Buddhist sculptures (including a
wooden copy of the Pha Bang), some Khmer stelae, various wooden
carvings, palm-leaf manuscripts and a bronze frog drum. A
17th-century bronze 'Calling for Rain' Buddha, tall and lithe, is
particularly beautiful; also unique is a 17th-century
Vientiane-style bronze Buddha in the 'European pose' - with the legs
hanging down as if seated on a chair. Attendants will point you to
the most interesting pieces. The sǐm is surrounded by a landscaped
garden, which is also home to a single stone jar from the Plain of
Jars.
Kaysone Phomvihane Memorial
Address: NE Vientiane
Keyword monument, significant house
Opened in 1995 to celebrate the late president's 75th birthday, the
Kaysone Phomvihane Memorial, serves as a tribute to Indochina's most
pragmatic communist leader. The memorial is actually two jarringly
different sites. Kaysone's old house is a model of modesty
suggesting he might have lived in less luxury than any other world
leader. In contrast the museum is a vast Vietnamese-style
celebration of the cult of Kaysone, a cult he never encouraged.
Visit the house first.
The relatively modest, American-built single-storey ranch house
where Kaysone lived after the revolution is fascinating both because
of its history and that it remains virtually untouched since the
great man died in 1992. The house is inside the former USAID/CIA
compound, a self-contained headquarters known as 'Six Klicks City'
because of its location 6km from central Vientiane. It once featured
bars, restaurants, tennis courts, swimming pools, a commissary and
assorted offices from where the Secret War was orchestrated. During
the 1975 takeover of Vientiane, Pathet Lao forces ejected the
Americans and occupied the compound. Kaysone lived here until his
death. A Lao People's Revolutionary Party (LPRP) guide will show you
through the house, with Kaysone's half-empty bottles of Scotch,
tacky souvenirs from the Eastern Bloc, white running shoes, notepads
and original Kelvinator air-conditioners. Even the winter coats he
wore on visits to Moscow remain neatly hanging in the wardrobe.
While the house is hard to find, the museum is impossible to miss,
with its mega-sized bronze statue of Kaysone out front flanked by
large sculptures in the Heroes of Socialism style, complete with
members of various ethnic groups and a sportsman looking like a
super-serious Superman. The building is a stark contrast, too, and
is filled with a remarkably complete collection of memorabilia of
both Kaysone and the Party. These include a mock-up of Kaysone's
childhood home in Savannakhet, his desk from the French school he
attended at Ban Tai and a model of a portion of 'Kaysone Cave' in
Hua Phan Province, complete with revolver, binoculars, radio and
other personal effects. It's easy to cycle here or take any
transport on Rte 13 south. For Kaysone's house, turn left just
before the museum on Rte 13, turn left again just before the
military entrance and follow the road another 800m or so, bending
right, and stopping at a boom gate on the right. A shared tuk-tuk
(around US$1 ) from Talat Sao will drop you outside the main
memorial.
Lao National Culture Hall
Address Th Samsenthai, city centre
Keyword museum
Opposite the Lao National Museum, and dwarfing it, is the
monumentally proportioned Lao National Culture Hall. The outsized
and ugly hall was built by the Chinese government in the late 1990s
as a 'gift to the people of Laos'. It hosts occasional cultural
events as varied as French cinema, Lao classical dance and even
beauty pageants, but with no publicly available schedule of events
you'll need to keep a close eye on the Vientiane Times for an
announcement.
Other attractions in Vientiane:
Lao National Museum | Papaya Spa | Patuxai | Pha That Luang | That Dam | Wat Si Muang | Wat Si Saket | Wat Sok Pa Luang | Xieng Khuan
Browse Vientiane Guides:
Vientiane Overview | When To Go | Itineraries in Vientiane | Sights in Vientiane | Where to sleep | Where to eat | Money & Cost | Getting There & Around | Shopping | Entertainment | Photos | History |
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