Wat Si Saket, Vientiane, Laos
Copyright © Timothy Tye. Stock Photo for Sale
Wat Si Saket
Vientiane, Laos
Wat Si Saket is one of the most important temples in Vientiane. It is located just across the street from the Presidential Palace. It was built by King Chao Anuvong, the last king of the Lan Xang Kingdom, in 1818. At that time, Laos was already a vassal of Siam, which explains its early Bangkok style of architecture. Probably due to its architectural style, Wat Si Saket was spared when the Siamese attacked an attack that destroyed Vientiane in 1828. As Wat Si Saket was not destroyed, it stands today as the oldest original temple in Vientiane.
An attractive feature of Wat Si Saket is the cloister surrounding the central sim, or ordination hall. The interior walls of the cloister contain small niches that house tiny silver and ceramic Buddha images, over 2000 all told, made between the 16th and 19th centuries. Around the cloister are seated statues of Buddha, over 300 of them, in mostly Lao style. These Buddha statues are made of wood, stone and bronze. These Buddha images were made in Vientiane between the 16th and 19th Centuries. Sitting on long shelves below the niches are over 300 mostly Lao-style Buddhas.
On the western side of the cloister is a pile of broken images, the result of the Siamese-Laotion war of 1828. Today Wat Si Saket is home to the head of the Lao sangha, the Buddhist order of monks.
