3 Best Sights in Laos

There's a good reason why Ho Phra Keo, one of the city's oldest and most impressive temples, has a name so similar to the wat in Bangkok's Grand Palace (there it's Wat Phra Kaew, the temple of the Emerald Buddha). The original Ho Phra Keo here was built by King Setthathirat in 1565 to house the Emerald Buddha, which he had taken from Chiang Mai in Thailand. The king installed the sacred statue first in Luang Prabang and then in Vientiane at Ho Phra Keo, but the Siamese army recaptured the Buddha in 1778 and it was installed in Bangkok. The present temple, restored in 1936, is a national museum. On display are Buddha sculptures of different styles, some wonderful chiseled images of Khmer deities, and a fine collection of stone inscriptions. The masterpiece of the museum is a 16th-century lacquered door carved with Hindu images.

This wat that dates to 1563—its last major renovation was in 1956—guards the original city pillar, a revered foundation stone also from the 16th century. Throughout the day, this temple receives a steady stream of local visitors seeking blessings for themselves—and their new vehicles! In a small park in front of the monastery stands a rare memorial to Laos's royal past: a large bronze statue of King Sisavang Vong, which survived the revolution as it had been cast by a Soviet artist.

A courtyard with 6,840 Buddha statues stops the show at this intriguing temple-monastery complex across from Ho Phra Keo. Built in 1818 by King Anou, the temple survived Vientiane's 1828 destruction by the Siamese army, and the monastery, still active, remains intact in its original form. The courtyard contains little niches and large platforms with Buddhas of all sizes. The impressive temple hall underwent some restoration in 1938. The intricately carved wooden ceiling and doors still impress, but time has taken its toll on the paintings that once covered the hall's walls.