Buddha Park – Xieng Khuan

Lying Buddha statue in Buddha Park

Travelling the capital Vientiane, hardly tourists forget to come to Buddha Park. This is an extremely popular tourist destination in Vientiane. You will surely love the peaceful scenery here with the right is the garden, forest, murmuring stream, the left is the vast Mekong River.

Panorama in sculpture Buddha Park from Pumpkin Tower
Panorama in sculpture Buddha Park from Pumpkin Tower

Buddha Park is not far from the capital Vientiane, and also close to Noong Khai Province of Thailand. Stepping foot here, visitors will feel a spiritual relaxing deliberate atmosphere.
Buddha Park is the masterpiece of a man named Bonunlua Suliat. In 1958 he chose the location by Mekong River to create a space bringing Buddhism color, called Wat Xiengkuane (often called Buddha Park), is 25 km from Vientiane.
Buddha Park is renowned for countless Buddha statues with many different faces and positions, totally made up of cement. Besides Buddha statues, there are many other sculptures such as the mysterious mascots, redoubtable evils and sophisticated humanoid.

A unique structure of Buddha Park is call Pumpkin Tower
A unique structure of Buddha Park is call Pumpkin Tower

Visitors will definitely overwhelmed by the huge number of statues. This is a mixing space of Hinduism, Buddhism mingled with Gods in Ramayana Epic such as Shiva, Visnu, Rama, Sita … all of them create a sacred and lively space.
The masterpieces here were “born” in period of 1950-1960 when Indochina War is in the fiercest time. Each period, the faces here have brought different emotions. Here, visitors will feel the time that the gods could not peaceful or quiet.

Panorama in sculpture Buddha Park from Pumpkin Tower
Panorama in sculpture Buddha Park from Pumpkin Tower

However, visitors can still feel the chastity and coziness… That is the giant Buddha statue lying in the center of the park, about 40 m long with the serene, tolerant face, broad forehead, slightly-closed eyes, slightly-smiling mouth, relaxing posture.
Also, visitors can not miss the opportunity to visit Hell Cave. It has the form of a giant pumpkin; the entrance is 2 m high. Opposite Hell Cave, there is a tower symbolizing paradise. Standing on the 2nd floor of the tower, visitors can observe the entire Buddha Park.