A monk enters the Wat Si Muang in Vientiane. The spot for this monastery was chosen in 1563

Getty Images/Lonely Planet Images

Wat Si Muang

Vientiane


The most frequently used grounds in Vientiane are those of Wat Si Muang, the site of the lák méuang (city pillar), which is considered the home of the guardian spirit of Vientiane. The large sǐm (ordination hall; destroyed in 1828 and rebuilt in 1915) was constructed around the lák méuang, and consists of two halls.

The large entry hall features a copy of the Pha Kaeo (Emerald Buddha), and a much smaller, rather melted-looking seated stone Buddha that allegedly survived the 1828 inferno. Locals believe it has the power to grant wishes or answer troubling questions, and the practice is to lift it off the pillow three times while mentally phrasing a question or request. If your request is granted, then you are supposed to return later with an offering of bananas, green coconuts, flowers, incense and candles (usually two of each).

The pillar itself is located in the rear hall, and is believed to date from the Khmer period, indicating that the site has been used for religious purposes for more than 1000 years. Today it is wrapped in sacred cloth, and in front of it is a carved wooden stele with a seated Buddha in relief.

Behind the sǐm is a crumbling laterite jęhdii (stupa), almost certainly of Khmer origin. In front of the sǐm is a little public park with a statue of King Sisavang Vong (r 1904–59).


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Vientiane attractions

1. Sacred Heart Cathedral

0.16 MILES

Also known as Vientiane Cathedral, this is the spiritual home of Catholicism in Laos, built during the French colonial period in 1928.

2. COPE Visitor Centre

0.26 MILES

Laos has the dubious distinction of being the most bombed country on earth, and although the American War in neighbouring Vietnam ended more than 40 years…

3. Haw Pha Kaeo

0.4 MILES

Once a royal temple built specifically to house the famed Emerald Buddha, Haw Pha Kaeo is today a rather dusty, lacklustre national museum of religious…

4. Wat Si Saket

0.43 MILES

Built between 1819 and 1824 by Chao Anou, the last monarch of the Kingdom of Vientiane, Wat Si Saket is believed to be the city's oldest surviving wat…

5. Presidential Palace

0.48 MILES

It's not possible to go inside the Presidential Palace, as unsurprisingly it is reserved for the president and government officials. It is, however, a…

6. That Dam

0.58 MILES

That Dam sits on a quiet roundabout near the centre of Vientiane. Legend has it that this stupa was once coated in a layer of gold. The gold is said to…

7. Wat Xieng Nyean

0.71 MILES

This centrally located temple has a convenient entrance on Rue Fa Ngoum, the riverfront road.

8. Patuxai

0.81 MILES

Vientiane's Arc de Triomphe replica is a slightly incongruous sight, dominating the commercial district around Rue Lan Xang. Officially called 'Victory…