As Buddhism plays a pivotal role in the society of Laos, it is not surprising to be able to spot numerous temples scattered all over the heart of Vientiane’s city centre. Commonly known as ‘wats’, these temples offer spectacular architecture for visitors to admire and also an opportunity to better comprehend the culture and traditions endeared by the local populace. 

Besides temple-hopping, we will also be exploring how the Secret War severely tormented the lives of the locals, how remnants of this destructive conflict continue to haunt Laos even today and the efforts being put into making this country safe again. Let us pray for a better tomorrow for this country together!

One of the most respected temples in the entire country of Laos, Haw Phra Kaew was constructed by King Setthathirath, who also built Pha That Luang, when he moved the capital of Lan Xang from Luang Prabang to Vientiane in the 1560s. Originally built to serve as the place of worship for the royal family, the temple became home to the Emerald Buddha for more than 200 years after the statue was seized from Siam.

The impressive stature of Haw Phra Kaew towers above all of us.

However, the statue, which was Siam’s most highly revered image of the Buddha, was returned to the kingdom in the south in 1779. Haw Phra Kaew thus received its name (meaning ‘Altar of the Emerald Buddha’) as the altar was the only relic that remained when the impressive structure it once housed was removed from its temple grounds. Another blow was dealt upon this temple when Siam invaded Vientiane during the war of 1828-29 and destroyed the Haw Phra Kaew which was subsequently restored to its former glory in the 1940s under French renewal efforts.

No Emerald Buddha here, but there are so many artefacts on display that are sure to amaze you!

Even though this wat no longer displays the Emerald Buddha which is now proudly exhibited in the Grand Palace in Bangkok, it still remains one of the most impressive attractions that Vientiane has to offer. Today, Haw Phra Kaew serves as a museum that displays numerous artefacts dating back to the olden ages for visitors to admire and learn more about the heritage of this country. 

Travellers will be able to enjoy Haw Phra Kaew’s breathtaking traditional architecture with its glistening appearance and skilfully carven structures of the deities and elephants on the roof as well as golden dragon structures forming the handles of the stairways.

The vibrant architecture of Haw Phra Kaew - with red and gold adorning its pillars

Walking through the temple grounds, beautiful gardens with charming statues reminiscent to a miniature version of those found in palaces offer visitors a place to rest and regroup in the shade.

These statues are giving me the vibes of a Western palace garden - cool, eh?

Nevertheless, one of the biggest highlights in Haw Phra Kaew is a well that boasts more than 2,000 years of history and was found in the Plain of Jars in Xieng Khouang Plateau. 

Wat Si Muang bears numerous similarities to Haw Phra Kaew – being erected by King Setthathirath in the 1560s, suffering massive destruction during the Siamese invasion in the 1820s and being reconstructed subsequently to its present state we see today.

Sabaidee (Hello), welcome to Wat Si Muang!

However, unlike its counterpart that was meant for the royalty to worship their deities, Wat Si Muang is much closer to the typical Vientiane civilian and bears an intriguing legend that infuses local animistic beliefs with the traditional school of Buddhism.

Stunning structures erected in another shrine next to the main temple

Locals believed that a young, pregnant lady named Si Muang volunteered to sacrifice herself to please the furious spirits and thus threw herself into a pit where the temple’s central pillar was to be installed. She was thus crushed to death when the column was lowered and revered as the guardian and saviour of the entire city of Vientiane.

Colourful statue of Phra Mae Thorani alongside a golden statue of a Buddhist deity

Besides being the centre of most celebrations during the That Luang Festival in November, devotees often flock to Wat Si Muang as it is believed that their wishes will be granted if they pray for something and make a promise at this auspicious temple.

Buddha statues cast in gold - devotees will kneel before them and do their prayers!

Wat Si Muang is probably one of my favourite temples in the capital due to its local flavour and personal touch. Monks clad in saffron can be found in the temple area studying scripture, working to keep the grounds clean and doing their regular prayers. 

The mural of the Buddha seems to be watching over the young monk with a kind gaze as he performs daily tasks to keep the temple clean.

As they are extremely friendly and enthusiastic to interact with travellers, feel free to have a little chat with them exploring the temple grounds.

A monk offering blessings to a devotee who has come to make her prayers

A monk is stationed in the first chamber to offer blessings to devotees who have visited to do their prayers, offering travellers the golden opportunity to observe and experience some of the unique local traditions and practices endeared by the local Buddhists.

The monk reads religious scripture when there are no devotees around.

Walking through the wat, visitors will be treated to a visual feast of glistening artefacts such as ornaments made of gold leaf and colourful drums.

This is probably used during religious festivals and celebrations - I would love to see it in action!

There is even a replica of the Emerald Buddha in the first chamber where believers do their prayers and make offerings of fruits, flowers and incense.

A glistening altar with the replica of the Emerald Buddha and myriad offerings

Statues of the Buddha and various deities, usually protected by guardian animals such as seven-headed Nagas as as well as miniature pagodas and shrines can be found all over the temple grounds and are usually adorned with beautiful items offered by devotees. 

A golden Buddha statue protected by a seven-headed Naga

To further accentuate the charm of this temple, its magnificent architecture is decorated with skilfully carven golden sculptures that emblazon the roof and provide the wat with its unique local flavour.

Taking my last look of Wat Si Muang before heading off

The shrines erected in the vicinity of the main temple building also offer a golden opportunity to admire the spectacular architecture and to observe the monks at work.

I can only use one word to describe this: "Incredible".

Walking around the temple grounds and identifying religious motifs and symbols will definitely help allow travellers to better comprehend their understanding of the local culture.

The roof of this shrine can definitely pass off as a golden stupa.

While leaving the temple, take a step back to admire the aesthetically beautiful design of the temple gates before moving off to the next stop.

The interesting design of the temple gates seem to resemble Angkor Wat in Cambodia!

To better understand the dark history of Laos in recent years, there is probably no better place to start from besides COPE Visitor Centre in Vientiane. When my friend asked for recommendations of places to visit in the capital city, this landmark was the first to come to mind.

The entrance to COPE may not seem very grand, but I promise that you'll learn lots from your visit to this educational, enriching centre.

This museum showcases how the massive destruction caused by the Secret War terrorised the entire country, thereby offering us a solemn reminder that Laos is the most heavily bombed country per capita in the history of mankind. The United States military conducted more than 500,000 missions and heavily bombed Laos with 2 million tonnes of explosives, which equates to a planeload of ordnance being dropped onto the country every 8 minutes for 24 hours a day, 7 days a week for a terrifying duration of 9 years.

Imagine if these bombs tormented your entire country for 9 horrendous years.

These cluster bomb shells that were dropped contained hundreds of smaller bomblets and caused massive destruction throughout the expanse of the country. However, it is estimated that approximately 30% of the explosives that were dropped failed to go off and continue to endanger the lives and safety of the locals, especially those working in the fields where the bomblets may still lie.

The bomb threat strikes fear in the locals but they still have to perform their daily routines in the fields that put them in constant danger.

The museum further expounds that the bomblets resemble small balls which may attract the attention of children who may be inquisitive as to the identity of these ‘toys’ and cause undesirable ramifications. Pictures of the bombings drawn by the local children are also on display with accompanying written recounts of the happenings which are absolutely heart-wrenching to read and see.

Children's drawings: To witness death at such a young age must be emotionally scarring.

Even though more than 1 million objects of unexploded ordnance (UXO) have been destroyed from 1996 to 2009, this is just the tip of the iceberg as the Secret War had effectively left 288 million cluster bombs and 75 million unexploded bombs across the entire country of Laos. In fact, these UXOs continue to strike terror in the hearts of the locals, causing more than 120 casualties and 80 deaths annually. This is where the Cooperative Orthotic and Prosthetic Enterprise (COPE) steps in as a non-profit organisation to assist survivors of UXO incidents.

The noble goal of COPE is clearly seen from each and every one of these prosthetics bringing hope to a local who has been faced with physical impairment.

Although COPE focusses on victims of UXO accidents, it has since expanded to provide support to locals who have suffered casualties during traffic incidents by offering free orthotic and prosthetic services as well as psychological support and medical care. The informative displays walk visitors through the entire procedure of creating prosthetics, while reading the stories of how some of the beneficiaries had suffered their injuries and were able to regain confidence to live their lives was extremely moving and inspirational. 

Now, they can walk again.

As the old adage goes, “Prevention is better than cure.” It is heartening to see that COPE has partnered government agencies to sweep through the land to identify potential UXO objects and speedily remove them to avoid casualties. Although works are tedious and slow, each bomb being removed from the ground can potentially save a life, so kudos to the agencies which are making concerted efforts to making life safer in this country. 

Statues built from UXOs - Laos, you're in our prayers.

Visitors are also able to make a donation to fund these initiatives by COPE or alternatively dine at the Karma Café or purchase souvenirs of which all proceeds will go towards COPE efforts. 

Wat That Khao is a lesser known temple that is just a stone’s throw away from Wat Si Muang and is home to a massive statue of the reclining Buddha which is made of gold and gives it that glistening appearance.

The simplistic design of the golden, reclining Buddha

In general, the architectural designs of this temple remain very intricate with skilfully carven details just like many of the other temples we have visited in Laos, but the statues of the deities and the Buddha are much more simplistic and plain-looking.

One of the most simplistic Buddha statues I have ever seen

As this temple is very much off the beaten path, chances are that visitors will have the entire place to themselves when visiting Wat That Khao and indulge in the serene, tranquil ambience of Zen in the wat.

Certainly no need to wait for tourists to get out of your picture here!

Sitting in the shade, one cannot help but visualise the Buddha preaching to believers under the Bodhi tree and soak in the peaceful atmosphere in the temple.

Intricate design of a little sign in Laotian script

In fact, when I visited the wat, the entire place felt like an abandoned temple.

The locked gates make this temple feel even more abandoned and dilapidated.

The silence was almost deafening, which really gave a stark juxtaposition with the other popular temples in the area where hordes of tourists flock in and out of the grounds.

When heading back to the main road, I turned back to see this awesome view where the gate somewhat resembles Pha That Luang with its golden stupa.