Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
style architecture there and making the
sim
at Wat Souvanakhili possibly the last surviving
example.
Wat Xieng Thong
Entrances on Sakkaline, Kounxoau and Souliyavongsa roads ∙ Daily 6am-6pm ∙ 20,000K
The most historic and enchanting Buddhist monastery in the entire country,
Wat Xieng
Thong
, the Golden City Monastery, should not be missed. Near the northernmost tip of the
peninsula, the temple compound alone is a delight to wander through, especially early in the
morning before the tourist crowds descend on it. The main temple or
sim
was built in 1560
by King Setthathilat (who then promptly moved the capital of the Kingdom of a Million
Elephants downriver to Vientiane) and it is this wonderfully graceful building that domin-
ates the monastery when approached from the riverside. Unlike nearly every other temple in
Luang Prabang, this
sim
was not razed by Chinese marauders in the nineteenth century and a
recent, extensive US-funded project has vividly restored much of its intricate gold stencilling
and mosaic work to its original lustre.
The sim
You'll need to stand at a distance to get a view of the
roof
, the temple's most outstanding
feature. Elegant lines curve and overlap, sweeping nearly to the ground, and evoke a bird
with outstretched wings or, as the locals say, a mother hen sheltering her brood. The
walls
of
the
sim
are decorated inside and out with stencilled gold motifs on a black or maroon back-
ground, which seem to float on the pillars and walls.
Besides stylized floral designs, the motifs depict a variety of tales, including the Lao version
of the Ramayana, scenes from the Jataka and stories about the lives of the Buddha, as well
as graphic scenes of punishments doled out in the many levels of Buddhist hell. In one of
these punishment scenes, on the wall to the right of the main entrance, an adulterous couple
