Things to see and do Vientiane

This is most certainly the emblematic monument of Laos, both historically and geographically. Originally, his name was Phra Tjédi Lokatchoulamani, which means "Divine reliquary", the precious summit of the world. That Luang is a more generic term that could be translated as Grand stupa. And you'll notice that every city has its own That Luang.

It is Asoka, a great Indian Buddhist ruler, who is said to be at the origin of the foundation of the vat, in the 3rd century BC. According to tradition, a fragment of the Buddha's iliac bone (some say a hair of the master) would have been deposited in the heart of the building. In any case, it is certain that between the 7th and 10th centuries, during the Sikhottabong period, otherwise known as the Mon period, That Luang was an important religious centre.

Subsequently, from the 11th to the 13th century, during the Say Fong period, the plain of Vientiane was occupied by the Khmers; a statue representing Jayavarman VII, who ruled Angkor from 1181 to 1218, was found near That, supporting the idea that That Luang was greatly influenced by the Khmer Empire. The strange statue at the entrance of the cloister also dates from this period. He is a Khmer-style guard, carrying a long club at the height of his lower abdomen.

The lower part of it having disappeared, one now has the impression that he is holding his sex in his hand. This is one of the many symbols that make it possible to associate this vat with the phallic emblem. In the 14th century, the kingdom of Lan Xang was created by Fa Ngum. Vientiane was then downgraded to Luang Prabang and the Vat That Luang was profoundly redesigned, so much so that the Khmer temple was replaced by a laterite stupa.

Nothing remains of this monument because it was covered by what was to become the present That Luang. It wasn't until the 16th century and the reign of Setthathirath that Vientiane regained its hegemony, and That Luang the form it takes today. In 1566, this vast building, 54 m long and 45 m high, was inaugurated. One could already admire the bulb in carafe finished by a gilded copper tip. The thirty small bells built on its perimeter, also called palami, represented the three degrees of each of the ten perfections of Buddhist doctrine.

In the seventeenth century, the That Luang truly became the symbol of national unity, then it was ransacked during the various wars, and left abandoned. However, the French School of the Far East became aware of its importance and, from 1930 to 1935, restoration work was undertaken. The stupa was rebuilt in the image of Louis Delaporte's sketches, the cloister was rebuilt as well as the prayer pavilions and the entrance doors.

In 1957, for the 2,500th anniversary of the Buddha's birth, the bulb and the lotus flower-shaped base were covered with a layer of gold. Today, the Vat That Luang is indeed the emblem of national identity. The That Luang festival is celebrated in every stupa in the country at the time of the full moon in October, in every That Luang in the country. It is particularly pompous and lively in Vientiane. This event will show you how much this monument can change its appearance and regain its bright colours when it welcomes monks and monks from all over the country. A true Buddhist pilgrimage to a sacred shrine in Laos.

This monument stands on Lane Xang Avenue. Pátu means "gate" and xái is a derivative of Sanskrit which translates as "victory". It was built in the 1960s to honour the memory of the victims of the pre-revolutionary wars. It is possible to climb to the top from where there is a superb panoramic view of the city. The fountain built at the foot of the Patuxai is the meeting place of the youth of Vientiane. Lane Xang Avenue, in the middle of which it stands, is said to have been built by the Americans as an airstrip.

This vat is a historical paradox as it is both the oldest and the newest temple in Vientiane. Indeed, it was built only a few years before the arrival of the Siamese in the city, at the beginning of the 19th century, but remains the oldest monastery as it is the only one that has never been destroyed by the invaders. Vat Sisakhet was founded on Thursday, March 4, 1819 by Chao Anou, the last king of Vientiane known as Anouvong.

At the time of its foundation, it had a name of Pali origin - Wat Sattasahatsa Vihararama - which means "monastery of the hundred thousand blissed". It is said to have been renamed Vat Sisakhet by the first Laotians who returned to Vientiane after their massive deportation on the right bank of the Mekong and who discovered this large statue of Buddha with his big head (sisa in pali) and the flame above it (ketu).

On the left, before the entrance to the cloister, is the old library of the temple. The large cupboard used to contain many manuscripts. The roof of the building (on four levels) is of Burmese inspiration.

Originally, the sim (or central shrine) and the cloister contained more than nine thousand statues of Buddha evoking the miracle of Sravasti. During the Siamese invasion, most of this wealth was looted and scattered, and if the soldiers did not burn down the monastery, it is said to have been because it resembled the buildings of the new Siamese capital.

Today, more than 2,000 small Buddha statues are arranged in small niches dug into the wall of the vat. In the courtyard you will notice a shelter enclosed by metal bars, where very damaged Buddha statues are piled up, often decapitated: they must have been melted down to make weapons during the Lao-Siamese conflict of 1828.

Inside the sim are tiny crypts dedicated to Buddha. Its wooden coffered ceiling is one of the strangest and if it reminds you of your visit to Versailles, it is not by chance. At the time of Louis XIV, Siam had a large delegation in France, and the French architecture of the 16th and 17th centuries had a definite influence. Note the lotus flower pendants and the stone statue of the Buddha on the altar, dating from the 13th century. Behind the sim is a long wooden naga which is used only to pour lustrous water (watering the Buddhas) over the Buddha statues during the Lao New Year, or Pi May Lao, festival. This vat definitely deserves a thorough visit.

Vat Ho Phra Kèo is not a simple temple; it is a palace monastery - Vat Ho - whose maintenance was not ensured by monks, but by the sovereign himself. Vat Ho Phra Kèo literally means "Emerald Buddha's palace monastery", it was built to shelter this famous Emerald Buddha whose story follows.

In 1545, Setthathirath, who was to make Vientiane the capital of Lane Xang, was only 12 years old when his father, Phothisararath, appointed him to the throne of Chiang Mai at the request of the notables of this small kingdom then called Lan Na. Phothisararath died accidentally shortly afterwards and the young Setthathirath was called to succeed him. In honor of his reign, the notables of Chiang Mai presented him with a gift: a small jade colored statue of Buddha sitting in the meditation position, Phra Keo.

Luang Prabang already possessing the Phra Bang, the young sovereign decided to install this Buddha in the enclosure of his new residence in Vientiane. The palace monastery then had a proud appearance with its huge gilded and carved wooden doors, its red and gold murals, and its slender roof with a triple-slope break. However, relations deteriorated between the ancient kingdom of Lan Na, under Siamese rule, and that of Lane Xang. Ayuthya, the Siamese king, made it a point of honour to recover Phra Kèo which he considered as part of his national heritage. In 1779, following the defeat of the Lao army against the Siamese, the Emerald Buddha definitively took the road to Bangkok where it is today exposed in another Vat Ho Phra Kèo (Wat Phra Kaew as it is called in Thailand). In 1828, Vientiane was burnt to the ground; the vat remained in ruins until 1936, when the Laotian and French authorities decided to restore the monument. Under the direction of Prince Souvanna Phouma, a public works engineer by training, the building was rebuilt on the model of the old one, the aim of this reconstruction being to turn it into a museum of religious arts. The pieces that had been stored in various monasteries were transferred there and, in 1954, those from the Lao collection of the Louis Finot Museum in Hanoi were added to the collection. Today, one can admire some beautiful pieces: stelae engraved with Mon inscriptions; sumptuous golden throne; statues of Khmer origin and a number of wood carvings, including these superb carved doors which are one of the main treasures of Lao art.

This park is home to an eight-metre bronze statue of Chao Anouvong, former king of Laos, just in front of the presidential palace. Inaugurated at the beginning of November 2011 to commemorate the 450th anniversary of the capital, it represents the former king turned towards his Thai neighbours across the river. He has his right hand outstretched and his left hand resting on his sword. This posture would be, for some, a sign of pride and resistance of the Laotian people against the Thai nation. The last king of Laos fought against neighbouring Siam in the early 19th century.

That Dam means "black stupa". It is one of the oldest monuments in Vientiane, and its corroded coating is beginning to crumble... However, under its decaying appearance, it is said to shelter the seven-headed dragon, the city's saviour who appeared in 1828, in whose honour this monument was built in the 14th century... According to another legend, it was originally covered with gold, then was plundered in 1828; it was therefore renamed the black stupa, in memory of this despicable act. It is located in the middle of a quiet square, in the middle of a small garden.

A statue of King Sisavang Vong is enthroned at the main entrance of this temple which is very important to the inhabitants. Indeed, it contains the square pillar that founded the city, considered to be the home of Vientiane's protective spirit and its tutelary genius. Its phallic form also makes it a place of worship for fertility. As such, it is one of the most visited temples in the capital. It was erected in 1563, when King Setthathirath settled in his new capital. Destroyed in the 19th century, the sim was rebuilt in 1915. An old statue of the Buddha currently surrounding the pillar is said to have powers of divination and may grant certain wishes, particularly those relating to procreation. Legend has it that the king asked that a hole be dug to house the pillar, and that it be big enough to house a person and a horse. A woman three months pregnant came on foot from a village a day's walk away to offer herself as a sacrifice. She was put in the hole and then a horse was forced in there as well. Both were buried alive. Buddhists from Laos and other countries are attracted by the miraculous powers that the temple would possess. The faithful come here to share their wishes that they hope will be granted. If these wishes come true, then they must return to give offerings (candles, coconuts, food, money...). These offerings can be obtained at the entrance if you wish to perform these rituals.

Located on the banks of the Mekong River, this monastery is famous for the carved wooden panels that adorn its doors and windows. From the original place of worship, destroyed in 1827 by the Siamese, only an imposing bronze Buddha in a seated position remains. Several statues of elephants adorn the courtyard of the enclosure. There is also a beautiful image of a Buddha calling for rain, the last remnant of a series of mural illustrations also destroyed during the multiple invasions. About twenty young monks live within these walls.