Pha That Luang—Vientiane, Laos - History Museums on Waymarking.com

The stupa Pha That Luang (Great Stupa) is a gold-covered large Buddhist stupa in the centre of the capital of Laos, the city of Vientiane. It is surrounded by other cultural important buildings and artefacts, and is considered one of the defining symbols of the nation.

The temple housed a Buddhist relic, a bone of the Buddha. The original construction dates back to the 3rd century AD, when a much small Buddhist temple was constructed on this site. In the 13th century, at the height of the Khmer Empire, the temple was rebuilt in the Khmer style. Then in the 15th century the temple was again rebuilt in the style seen today. In 1828, along with the rest of the city, the temple was destroyed by the Thai army. In the late 19th century and then in the 1930s the French administration of Laos restored the temple.

At the current time the stupa is in a pristine state, as befits its role as a national symbol, and tourist attraction.

The stupa is approximately 50m on a side, a approximately 50m high. It is a bright gold in colour, and an attractive site. The grounds of the stupa are surrounded by a wall and are now generally closed, opened only on organised occasions or somewhat haphazardly (I was told) for causal visitors (such as myself). The grounds contain historical statues and cultural artefacts.

The details of the stupa history are hard to come by, and are somewhat contradictory, however, the stupa clearly shows that its fortunes waxed and waned in conjunction with the surrounding governments and political powers.


The museum is inside the enclosing walls of the stupa, thus I was not able to see the museum myself. To be frank, even though it is advertised as a museum, I strongly suspect that the museum is the collection of historical, cultural, and Buddhist artefacts, including a statue or two gathered over the years and centuries. I doubt if there is a comprehensive display or historical theme to the collection, but I could be wrong.

Entry is 5,000 Kip for foreigner, which is ~50c, but a mere 2,000 for locals (fair enough).

Theme: Lao history, largely Buddhism. Food Court: no Gift Shop: no Hours of Operation: Mon-Sun: 08.00-12.00 13.00-16.00. Cost: 5000.00 (listed in local currency) Museum Size: Small Relevant Web Site: [Web Link] Street Address: Not listed

Visit Instructions:
In order to log this waymark in this category, you must be able to provide proof of your visit. Please post a picture of yourself or your GPSr in front some identifiable feature or point of interest either in the museum, or on the museum grounds.

Recent Visits/Logs:

Date Logged Log User Rating   11/16/2017 franketmuriel visited it 12/25/2013 juhanili visited it

View all visits/logs