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Ho Phra Keo is one of Vientiane’s oldest temples. Built in 1565 by King Setthathirat, the Wat was used as the royal chapel of the Lao Monarchy, but more importantly it was built to house the Emerald Buddha. This sacred statue, which is now housed in Wat Phra Kaew in Bangkok, ended up in Vientiane after the King moved it from Northern Thailand. Ho Phra Keo was destroyed when the Siamese (Thai) invaded the city in 1778 and took the Emerald Buddha back to Siam (Thailand). The Siamese invaded Vientiane again in 1828, once again destroying the temple.
Rebuilding Ho Phra Keo
The temple as it is today was rebuilt and finished by 1942, when Laos was controlled by the French. Today it is no longer used as a place of worship, but instead used as a museum displaying some of the best Lao Buddhist sculptures in the country.
A dragon statue on the main central staircase
Although the current architecture of the temple is relatively new compared to its history, it still gives the impression that it is ancient. It hasn’t been painted and decorated in bright colours, the walls and carvings look old and worn, a perfect way to portray its history.
Carvings in the exterior wall of the temple
Bronze Buddha statues along the exterior wall
Exploring the Museum of Ho Phra Keo
At the entrance of the temple are many ancient stone tablets. On each side are a line of incredible bronze Buddha statues, with more statues located at the other end of the temple. Inside Ho Phra Keo is the main museum, which contains an altar for the Emerald Buddha and other Buddhist artefacts, carvings and scriptures.
Ancient stone tablets
Bronze Buddha statue
A stone carving
A Bronze statue
Each stairway on the temple has dragons running the length of them with their heads at the entrance, guarding the temple.
One of the staircases with dragon statues
The gardens
Surrounding the Wat is a stone and brick wall amongst beautifully manicured gardens, with places to rest and be at peace. A truly great way to take in this incredible temple.
The wall and hedge in front of the temple
Statues in the gardens
One of the hedges in the garden
Ho Phra Keo is a place full of memory. It has a lot of stories to tell over nearly 450 years of history. Although it is no longer a place of worship, it is still a very sacred place in Laos, an ancient part of Vientiane.
Ho Phra Keo
If you’re looking for more temples and attractions to explore in Vientiane, check out my Vientiane travel guide.
Beautiful pictures, Laos is one of those countries I regret not having visited while I was in SE Asia. Hopefully I’ll be back next year, I’ll be careful not to miss it this time 🙂
Angela recently posted..Tehran in pictures, a temptation of local markets and sweets shops
Thanks Angela. I enjoyed Laos a lot, it’s a beautiful country with some lovely people. I also found places where I was the only tourist, making it a really great experience. I hope that you can get there soon 🙂
Dean Wickham recently posted..Temples of Laos: Ho Phra Keo, Vientiane
Laos is in my travel plans! Thank You for excursion.
Victor recently posted..Hotel Egmond in Bruges: in what is a trick?
Laos is a wonderful country, I’m glad that you are travelling there. Enjoy.
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[…] the Emerald Buddha (now located in Wat Phra Kaew  at the Grand Palace in Bangkok, Thailand). Ho Phra Keo is now a museum containing some of the best Lao Buddhist sculptures in the […]
[…] in Vientiane, Laos. Also known as Wat Phra Kaew due to it once housing the prized Emerald Buddha, Ho Phra Kaew is the oldest Buddhist temple in Vientiane, though it has been destroyed and rebuilt a couple of […]
[…] Ho Phra Keo is the oldest temple in Vientiane and now stands as a museum that contains some important historic pieces. The temple has an interesting history and has been destroyed and rebuilt a couple times throughout the centuries since its establishment in 1565. The famous Emerald Buddha – which is now housed at Wat Phra Kaew in Bangkok – was housed here when it was in the hands of the Lao Monarchy. […]