Travel guide! Spend a day exploring Vientiane
As the capital of Laos, Vientiane didn't leave me with many special impressions and memories, possibly because of our itinerary, which only included a brief stay of one and a half days, and we didn't have much time to discover the charm of this city.
📖 Itinerary:
Morning: Wat Si Muang, Wat Phra Kaew, Wat Si Saket
Afternoon: That Luang, Patuxai
▪️Wat Si Muang is the most popular temple in Vientiane, and many devotees still come here to pray. The temple is not very large, but it has many statues with different expressions, and the building is brightly colored. It feels like it has been recently renovated, but this also means that it lacks the historical charm of an ancient temple.
▪️Wat Phra Kaew was once the place where the Emerald Buddha was enshrined, but it was moved to Bangkok during the Siamese rule. Now it is a small religious art museum, and the temple displays some statues and Buddhist collections. The corridors on both sides of the temple are a good place to take photos.
▪️Wat Si Saket is located opposite Wat Phra Kaew. There are many ancient pagodas surrounding the temple. The most famous one is the hall and corridors with over 2,000 statues.
▪️That Luang is a must-visit temple in Vientiane. It is famous for enshrining the relics of Sakyamuni. It consists of a huge golden pagoda and several side halls. The huge reclining Buddha on the right side of the pagoda is the most photogenic. Apart from being more majestic and spectacular than other temples, it has no other characteristics.
▪️Patuxai is a landmark of Vientiane. Although it shares the same name as the Arc de Triomphe in Paris, it is actually a victory monument, built to commemorate the people who died in the Laotian War of Independence. The ceiling of Patuxai is decorated with paintings of figures from Buddhist mythology, and there are also statues of Buddha on the four pillars. If you have time, you can also pay to climb up and have a look. The fountain at the entrance of Patuxai was built with the help of China. There is a fountain show every night at 6:00. To be honest, the effect is quite good, mainly because it is at sunset, and the afterglow of the sun dyes the sky, adding a romantic touch to Patuxai.
▫️The night market by the river in Vientiane is very lively. In addition to the night market, there are also many restaurants, bars, and massage parlors nearby, but most of them close at 10:00. It is really a lazy and Buddhist city.