Fodor's Expert Review Buddha Park (Xieng Khouan)

The bizarre creation of an ecumenical monk, Luang Pou Bounleua Soulilat, who dreamed of a world religion embracing all faiths, this park is "peopled" by enormous Buddhist and Hindu sculptures spread across an attractive landscape of trees, shrubs, and flower gardens. Keep an eye out for the remarkable 165-foot-long sleeping Buddha. The park was laid out by the monk's followers in 1958 on a strip of land along the Mekong, opposite the Thai town of Nong Khai. After the revolution, the monk escaped across the river, where he began building anew. Visit Xieng Khouan by taking B14 from the Talat Sao bus station.