Haw Phra Kaew (Monastery of the Emerald Buddha), Vientiane (must see)

Haw Phra Kaew is a historic Buddhist monastery that once served as the royal temple of the Lao kingdom. It was built in 1565 during the reign of King Setthathirath to house the Emerald Buddha, a sacred statue brought from the Lan Na kingdom. For more than two centuries the monastery functioned as a royal chapel and an important religious center.

The building’s history reflects periods of conflict in the region. In 1779 Siamese forces captured the area and carried the Emerald Buddha to Bangkok, where it remains today. The temple was later damaged in nineteenth-century military campaigns and stood in ruins for many years. It was reconstructed in the 1930s during the French colonial period using traditional designs and historical records.

The monastery follows the layout of classical Lao religious buildings. The main hall stands on a raised stone terrace and is surrounded by carved stone balustrades shaped like nāga serpents, figures from Buddhist and local mythology. The roof has several descending tiers with long curved edges, a style often seen in Lao temple architecture. Along the outer walls are rows of windows framed with carved wood and decorative panels that show floral patterns and religious motifs.

Today the building functions as a museum of religious art rather than an active monastery. Inside, visitors can see many Buddha statues made from bronze, wood, silver, and stone, dating from the sixteenth to nineteenth centuries. Stone carvings, inscriptions, and fragments from earlier temples are also displayed, showing the development of Buddhist art and royal religious culture in Laos.