LAOS- Cont'd

Statue of King Jayavarman VII of the Khmer Kingdom displayed in Wat Sisaket. A renowned and greatly admired king.

Statue of King Setthathirath who built Pha That Luang Stupa in 1566.
The tip of the stupa is seen to his left.

Pha That Luang Stupa is considered the most beautiful stupa in Vientiane built in 1566. It is also held as the most religious as a breast bone of Buddha is supposedly enclosed in it. The dome is covered in gold. It was destroyed during the wars fought with Thailand and other Indo-Chinese nations but has been restored with aid from France. It used to house four temples in its compound. Today, only two remain.

Pratuxi Victory Monument in Vientiane was built to remember Laotian Soldiers who fought during WWII and for independence from France. It was built between 1957 - 68 with funds provided by America, and cement meant for the building of an airport. It thus earned the nickname of "vertical runway".

This sculpture facing the Pratuxi Victory Monument is made up of tea cups tied together by wire. The Laotian government put it as a symbol for the promotion of Sino-Lao tourism.

Wat Sisaket, built in 1818, is the oldest standing temple in Laos. "Wat" is also temple for Thais and Cambodians. This temple was ravaged by wars fought with the Lanna (Thai) Kingdom consequently, many the Buddha statues were destroyed or removed. After the wars, the villagers found many statues and returned them here. The temple houses the most Buddha statues in Laos. The French Colonial power renovated it twice in 1924/30.

The temple is filled with many Buddha statues, as well as Buddha frescoes displayed in tiny niches built into the walls. Many damaged statues have also been cloistered. 

Haw Phra Kaew used to be the temple for Lao Royals but today serves as a museum for religious arts. The famous Emerald Buddha now in Thailand was kept here for about 200 years until it was taken to Bangkok. A stone jar from the Plain of Jars is also displayed in the museum grounds.

Side view of the museum.

My friend, Choi Ee, admiring the sunset from the bank of the Mekong.

Having her nails done on the river bank. This side of the river has been developed into a park, named Chao Ano Park.

This is the right side of a Vientiane hotel still being put up, whereas the left side is fully functional. 5-year plan?

Fresh fruits are aplenty in Laos. This stall sells fresh cut fruits outside a market. The packets look big.

Taking a tuk-tuk back to the hotel after the morning walk-about. As elsewhere, you need to haggle over the price.