Asia

[Visited: December 2000]

Laos has an incredible amount of Buddhist temples all around the country. So many, for the traveller they rapidly develop from being a sight for which you walk a extra kilometre to visit, to integral parts of the towns and countryside. One temple deserves special mention here and that's Wat Xieng Thong, a temple in the capital of temples, Luang Prabang.
Sitting on a hill overlooking the Mekong river, this templecomplex actually consists of several temples and stupas. Its grounds also boast some beautiful colourful flowers. All in all this gave the place an even more peaceful atmosphere than other temples we had already seen before.
The walls of these temples are decorated both inside as well as outside, with intricate works or glassy art. Every panel of every single door or window has been colourfully painted. In one corner the dormitories of the monks can be found, as well as their garden.Their orange clothes hanging to dry in the sun. When you finally step back into the street, you have to set your mind back to normal life. Wat Xieng Thong is an island of tranquillity in a quiet city.

Around the World in 80 Clicks

Personal travel impressions both in words and images from Wat Xieng Thong (Laos). Clicking on the pictures enlarges them and enables you to send the picture as a free e-card or download it for personal use, for instance, on your weblog. Or click on the map above to visit more places close to Wat Xieng Thong.
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