Luang Prabang and the north of Laos
After all my previous visits to Laos in the last 16 years this excursion to the north and north-east of Laos was one of my most exciting tours in this fascinating country. The destination Phongsali is so much beside the main routes that its better to be reach from Yunnan/China than from the south part of Laos; we did it coming from Oudom Xai 232 km to Phongsali with the speed of 15 - 20 km per hou…
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Mekong river bank
Sisavangvong Rd. in Luang Prabang
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Wat Xieng Thong
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A destination for every traveller visiting Laos and Luang Prabang. It was my fifth or sixth time I visited this amazing beautiful teak wood building which is constructed in the archaic Laotian style.
Wat Xieng Thong
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Every time I visited Luang Prabang I visited Wat Xieng Thong.The Wat is one of the most important temples in the country of Laos. The word "wat" in Lao means temple, in this case, the Temple of the Golden City.
Wat Xieng Thong main temple
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The temple is very old, built around 1560 by King Setthathirat, a patron of Buddhism, who ruled Laos from 1548 to 1571.
Chedi at the Wat Xieng Thong
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A very important element in every Stupa is the Tree of Life. It is a wooden pole covered with gems and thousand of mantras, and placed in the central channel of the stupa.
Wat Xieng Thong Buddha
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A large image of the Buddha sits on a platform, surrounded by smaller images, candles, and offerings.
Wat Xieng Thong entrance door
Wat Xieng Thong side altar
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Wat Xieng Thong gold leaf art
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On an interior wall small figures in gold leaf illustrate the daily activities of a Lao village. We see people playing, winnowing rice, cooking, and near the top, paying their respects to the Buddha at a temple.
Wat Xieng Thong Red Temple
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A small chapel on the grounds of Wat Xieng Thong, with caved walls, gilt on a pink background. The carving shows worshipers and Buddha images in a pastoral setting with trees, plants, and animals.
At the premise of the Wat Xieng Thong
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The Sanctuary of the Reclining Buddha, known more commonly as the Red Chapel, is renowned for the exquisite glass mosaics on the exterior walls which were created in 1957 to commemorate the 2500th anniversary of the Buddha's birth.
Wat Xieng Thong and the Funerary Pavilion
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This house, at Wat Xieng Thong complex contains a funeral carriage and urns for the ashes of members of the royal family.
In 1887, the complex was the only wat to have escaped destruction by foreign aggressors because their leader had utilized it as his headquarters.
Built upon the death of King Sisavong, the Funerary Pavilion houses a royal funerary carriage with numerous naga heads carved by the famous Lao sculptor Thit Tan, as well as a collection of religious objects. The building is renowned for its carved and gilded wooden ornamentation, which was produced in 1962 and recounts several episodes from the Ramayana.
Wat Xieng Thong Seated Buddha Pavilion
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The Chapel of the Standing Buddha, or Pointed Arch Chapel, is located south of the façade of the sim. Initially one might pay it little attention, since it is sited among so many more colorful and lavish structures. Closer examination reveals wonderful details in the work of the mosaic artist, especially in the pediments on either end and in the dok so fa-like pagoda form at the center of the ridgepole. Although it has a single roof, additional lines of decoration and the four cho fa at the top suggest the image of a double roof.
The sim of Wat Xieng Thong
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The sim or the ordination hall of the temple represents the classic style of the temple architecture that existed in Luang Prabang. The roofs sweep low to the ground and remind you of the Lan Xang-Lanna style of northern Thailand. Inside, exquisitely ornated wooden columns provide support to the ceiling.
Inside the Funerary Pavilion
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The cremation chariot of the Lao king with large naga heads in front. In the back is the urn.
Inside the Funerary Pavilion
Inside the Funerary Pavilion
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Glass cabinets hold royal puppets that were once used for performances of la-kháwn lek .
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