- Address: Khem Khong, Luang Prabang, Laos
- Phone: +92 300 3728669
- Opening hours: 8: 00-17: 00
- Date of construction: 1560.
One of the most beautiful and ancient religious sites of Laos is the temple of Wat Sieng Thong. In the people it is also called "Golden City" and "Monastery of the Golden Tree". There is a temple in Luang Prabang . If we consider that the importance of such buildings in Laos is determined by the number of spiers, and there are 17 of them, then Wat Sieng Thong can be safely considered the main temple of the country. Such a figure can not boast of any of the cathedrals of Laos. The beauty, greatness, uniqueness and uniqueness of Wat Sieng Thong attract many tourists, and some of them come back here more than once.
Architectural features
The building of Wat Sieng Thong is built in the style of the temple classics of Luang Prabang: smoothly bending, the wide slopes of the roofs drop almost to the ground. Around the head structure there are several stupas and three half-darenkas, which are called "ho". Ho Tai or the "Red Chapel" is a kind of repository for the rarest sculpture of the recumbent Buddha. The other two ho are notable for mosaic facades with portraits of Savat and scenes from the life of local village dwellers.
The back wall of the temple Wat Sieng Thong is decorated with a mosaic "tree of life", which depicts different colors of animals and birds on a red background. On the other outer walls of the building there are sketches of frank scenes from the ancient Indian epic "Ramayana". At the eastern gate is a 12-meter building - a vault for the royal funeral crew, which consists of a chariot topped by seven dragon heads and three urns with kings ashes. The carriage itself is lavishly decorated with gold.
The interior of the temple of Wat Sieng Thong is notable for its ceiling decor with drachma wheels, Buddha images and wall murals with scenes from the life of the famous King Chantapanita. At present, one of the largest collections of manuscripts of the Lansan and Luang Prab states is kept in the Buddhist monastery. Until the middle of the XX century. Anyone could use the collection, but most of the valuable books were stolen.
How to get to the temple?
From the central part of Luang Prabang to Wat Sieng Thong you can get in two ways. The fastest route passes through Kingkitsarath Rd, you can also drive through Sisavangvong Road and Sakkaline Rd. On a car trip takes no more than 10 minutes. Through Kingkitsarath Rd you can walk to the sights. Such a journey will take about 30 minutes.