Wat Si Saket (Si Saket Temple), Vientiane (must see)

Wat Si Saket is the oldest surviving Buddhist temple in its original form in the Lao capital. It was built in 1818 during the reign of King Anouvong, the last king of the Kingdom of Vientiane. The temple was designed with architectural features influenced by Siam, which was unusual in the area at the time. This style may have helped it survive the Siamese attack in 1828, when many other temples were destroyed.

The complex includes a main ordination hall, a cloister around the courtyard, and several smaller buildings. The cloister walls contain rows of niches filled with Buddha images. In total, the temple holds about 6,840 statues, made from materials such as ceramic, wood, stone, and metals including bronze, silver, and tin. Some of these sculptures date from the sixteenth to nineteenth centuries.

The main hall stands on a raised platform with a tiled roof and shaded verandas supported by wooden columns. Inside, visitors can see wall paintings that show scenes from the Jataka stories, which describe the earlier lives of the Buddha. Although parts of the paintings have faded with time, many details remain visible. Several large Buddha statues stand on decorated altars inside the hall.

Today the temple is both an active place of worship and a historical site open to visitors. Monks live and study in the complex, and local residents come to pray and make offerings. Visitors often walk through the quiet courtyard and the cloister lined with Buddha images, where the large number of statues creates a distinctive atmosphere.