Wat Sisaket is a sacred Buddhist temple located in the town of Vientiane. The temple is famous for its cloister walls housing nearly 7000 tiny Buddha images and hundreds of seated ones. Visiting the temple and discover its mysteries is truly one of the most worthwhile things to do in Laos.
The story of Wat Sisaket Temple
The temple Wat Sisaket, also called Vat Sisaket by the locals, was built in 1818 by the mandate of King Anouvong and totally completed in the year 1824. Thanks to its splendor, the temple has been the favorite place where the Lao Kings meet the aristocracy.
Being the only survivor after the invasion of the Siamese in 1828, Wat Sisaket has become the oldest temple that still remains the original structure to Sisaket. The temple is designed in the Thai style, although it was twice restored, the last in the year 1930.
The structure of Wat Sisaket
Wat Sisaket Temple blends the mixture of Thai and Laos traditional architecture. The main building, called the Ordination Hall, is covered by a 5-level roof which supported by long columns. All the levels of the roof are decorated with beautiful wooden carvings.
The local believed that this similarity to Thai temples was the reason why the Siamese decided not to raze the monument. There is a Board of Management in the Wat Sisaket Temple, people can access to the area but not allowed to take any picture.
Wat Sisaket features a complex building called the library, years ago was the place where guarded the manuscripts of palm leaves and Buddhist philosophical books. These documents were brought and hold in Bangkok, Thailand during the war.
The campus of Wat Sisaket Temple
Before stepping into the entrance gate of the temple, visitors will see a large garden with many benches to sit and shaded fruit trees. You will also see a lot of vendors selling coconut milk and street foods.
At the main entrance to Wat Sisaket, there is a vertical architecture called the Drum Tower. It is a Doghouse with 2 stories, in which the upper floor featuring an immense drum.
Nearly 7000 Buddha images in Wat Sisaket Temple
The most highlight of the Sisaket Temple would be the cluster of 6840 Buddha statues found in the courtyard galleries of the complex. These statues along with the murals represent different stages in the life of Buddha. Most the images are mounted in the cloister walls in different levels.
The Buddha images are mainly wooden carving, although some of them are constructed from bronze, silver, or ceramics.
More information:
Opening hours: daily from 08:00 – 12:00 and 13:00 – 16:00
Entrance fee: 0.5 USD (5000 Laotian Kip)
Location: Intersection of Lane Xang and Setthathirat Roads, Vientiane Downtown
