Wonders of Faith: Visiting the Beauty of Buddha Park in Vientiane, Laos

In the heart of Laos, amidst the lush landscapes and serene countryside, lies a place of profound spiritual significance and artistic marvel – the Buddha Park in Vientiane. This enchanting destination, also known as Xieng Khuan, beckons travelers from afar to witness a captivating fusion of Buddhist and Hindu iconography. As you venture into this realm of divine symbolism and architectural wonders, prepare to awaken by the beauty and intricacy gracing every corner.

Join us to examine the hidden meanings behind each painstakingly constructed artwork as we travel the three realms of existence and revel in the tranquillity that permeates this unique refuge.

Exploring the Beauty of Buddha Park in Vientiane

Overview of the Buddha Park in Laos - a great place for a stroll

The Buddha Park was created in the late 1950s by a visionary Lao monk, Luang Pu Bunleua Sulilat, who expressed his strong commitment to Buddhism and Hinduism. It is now a tribute to faith and a reflection of the artist's limitless creativity, providing an immersive encounter into the essence of spirituality.

The park is an open-air sculpture located approximately 25 kilometers (15 miles) outside Vientiane on the Mekong River. The eccentric setting of over 200 statues of all forms and sizes portraying figures from Buddhist and Hindu beliefs and legends is known by locals as Xieng Khuan, which means Spirit City.

Visitors can roam among the sculptures and serene foliage of the Mekong's banks, take pictures, and sometimes climb the constructions. Although the statues and sculptures look ancient and fashioned from stone, this park is very modern. The Lao government now manages the park as a tourist attraction, and it was heavily renovated in 2017 with new paths and high-quality toilets.

The heroic change in the history of Buddha Park in Vientiane

Xieng Khuan is unlike elsewhere because of its twin devotion to Buddhism and Hinduism. It’s not officially a temple, despite often being called Wat Xieng Khuan (wat meaning temple), but locals that often worship here see it as a holy place. It’s almost more akin to an art installation than a religious place. The imagination must have taken to conceive of the bizarre demons, humans, mythological creatures, and religious cross-breed that twist and parade across the park must have been quite something.

Who built the Buddha Park? 

This begs the issue of who was behind this eccentric vision. In 1958, one man, a purported priest-shaman named Luang Pu Bunleua Sulilat. Luang Pu translates as "venerable grandfather," he is sometimes described as a monk, although documents reveal that he was a relatively impoverished guy with little artistic training. Nonetheless, Bunleua Sulilat studied Buddhism and Hinduism and wished to see the two religions coexist. 

Bunleua was mentored in Vietnam by Keoku, a Hindu rishi (a Wiseman) he encountered after slipping into a cave as a boy. This Wiseman was said to be able to turn himself into a gigantic serpent and greatly influenced Bunleua's designs. So he began building his massive sculptures with a crew of his pupils, and the Buddha Park began to take shape.

The history of the formation and heroic development of Buddha Park

Another Buddha Park

Bunleua fled to Thailand due to the risky and dangerous circumstances. He immediately began his second project, a similar sculpture park in Nong Khai named Sala Keoku after his wise shape-shifting guru. Geographically, the two parks are only a few kilometers apart because they are both on the Thai-Lao border (delineated by the Mekong River), and you can see the top of Xieng Khuan's highest structure from Sala Keoku.

The giant pumpkin and other monuments

There are approximately 200 statues in all, and walking among them is like peering into the mind of their designer. Each construction has no genuine explanation - no informative sign or pamphlet. This haphazard approach contributes to the experience's enchantment. There is no political message or aesthetic meaning here; it is simply a curiosity, a show, nothing more, nothing less.

The massive pumpkin-shaped monument is one of the most special sculptures, which will likely catch your eye immediately. A gigantic dome-like edifice with a blossoming tree on top and a horrific gargoyle's face gaping at its front. This is a design that allows you to climb inside and explore. Enter into the wide-open mouth of the demonic head (duck your head! ), and you'll find three separate floors packed with themed sculptures. These three stories and their different interiors are designed to depict Hell, Earth, and Heaven. Follow the stone stairs through the middle to the top (Heaven), where you'll be rewarded with a breathtaking view of the park. 

The park's sculptures are all larger than life and memorable; each is exquisitely elaborate and ornamented on every surface. Some of the features are odd, such as elephant trunks sprouting from the faces of the individuals and numerous heads brazenly competing for attention. They compete for space as they sprawl across the grassy park, and the lush trees of the forest behind this sculpture park are reminiscent of the (much older) towering stupas of Bagan in Myanmar or the epic Cambodian temples of Angkor Wat.

A unique structure in the shape of a giant pumpkin in Buddha Park

They vary in size from miniature to enormous, but they all have the same lifetime. They were built in 1958 under the supervision of Luang Pu Bunleua Sulilat, not in ancient times, as their disintegrating worn appearance implies. It would be simple to imagine them hewn from rock and stone and carried to the park, but they would have been cast in situ from concrete and cement and strengthened with steel.

The Buddha statues

Along with and among these Hindu features are numerous pictures of Buddha figures and depictions of other aspects of Buddhist doctrines, such as Avalokitevara, a bodhisattva (a person on the path to Buddhahood) who represents compassion.

Another notable feature is the 40-meter-long (130-feet) reclining Buddha along the park's perimeter. It would be worth coming to the park for this sculpture alone – be prepared for its size to take your breath away.

Buddha sculptures vary significantly by place but are invariably shown in a symbolic ritual stance known as a mudra. There are around 100 recognized mudras, and here are five of the most frequent to look out for throughout the park.

The Hindu statues

As you know, Hinduism is a complex religion with hundreds of deities and thousands of years of history. Iconography and idol worship are essential aspects of religion, and murtis are gods and goddesses depicted in image form (whether in a painting or a sculpture).

Murtis at Buddha Park depict Hindu mythological characters. For example, Shiva (the three-eyed destructive deity), Vishnu (the preserver god, commonly shown with four limbs), and Arjuna (the son of the god Indra, famed as an archer), as well as numerous animals, humans, and demonic beings. The Hindu god Indra rides its white three-headed elephant (Airavata and Erawan), a stone deity with four arms on a horse, and other multi-handed, multi-headed, and multi-limbed gods. You could spend hours delving into these sculptures.

How to get to Buddha Park

How to get to Buddha Park from Vientiane

The Buddha Park Xieng Khuan is located on the banks of the Mekong River, just north of the Laos-Thailand border. It's in Thadeua Village, a few kilometers from the two nations' Friendship Bridge. Because the park is near the Thai/Lao border, it may also serve as a convenient stopover between the two nations. There are several ways to tell you how to get to Buddha Park  from Vientiane, including:

Take a local bus

A local bus to Buddha Park in Vientiane is an authentic and cost-effective way to reach this spiritual haven. The bus you want is the Route 14 bus, which departs from the Vientiane Central Bus Station near the Talat Sao market. The stand will be a green and white bus towards the back of the station.

The ways to get to Buddha Park from Vientiane

These depart generally every 20 minutes and take 45 minutes to an hour to reach the park. The bus costs 6000 kips (approximately 0.70 USD) each way. Check the bus's final destination or inform the driver if you wish to travel to the park. Typically, its final destination is Buddha Park, although this route occasionally only travels as far as Friendship Bridge on the Thai/Lao border. If this is the case, you may still take it as far as it will go before transferring to a smaller minibus that will transport you the rest of the way to the park for only 2000 kip (0.20 USD). The minibusses might be a little rough, but the journey is short.

Rent a tuk-tuk to go Buddha Park, Vientiane

If you want a little more independence and peace of mind when traveling, try hiring a tuk-tuk for the day. It's not the cheapest choice, but it allows you to drive directly to the park or arrange a few stops along the way to include other sites or pauses. Traveling by tuk-tuk is slightly faster, usually lasting roughly 40 minutes, although traffic and road conditions should always be considered when traveling in Southeast Asia. The tuk-tuk and driver will wait for you to return to the park.

The cost varies greatly depending on the driver and your bargaining abilities! Typically, it costs between 90,000 and 200,000 kips to charter a tuk-tuk for the day. You'll also discover that your hostel will frequently organize group outings for roughly 70,000 kips per person - you'll be picked up from the hostel and dropped off at the park after a couple of hours.

Read more: Laos Public Transport - How To Get Round In Laos

Tuk-tuk is a popular type of traffic to Buddha Park

Helpful Tips For Making the Most of Your Journey To Buddha Park

The opening time and ticket fee when you visit Buddha Park

The park is open from 8 am until 5 pm every day to welcome visitors sightseeing. The Buddha Park ticket to entry costs 15.000 kips (approximately 1.7 USD) & 3000 kips parking fee if you drive the car there.

Some tips for your visit to Buddha Park, Laos

• A visit to Buddha Park in the morning is ideal. Symbolically, most of the sculptures face east towards the rising sun (except for a few that represent death that faces away), so if you go early in the morning, you'll see them lit up, making for much better photos. Later in the day, it will be difficult to capture shots with the sun behind the statues. The park may also become extremely popular after mid-morning, especially on weekends.
• Although Xieng Khuan Buddha Park is not a religious site, it is a unique location for the people and has many religious symbols. Therefore, casual yet modest clothes are recommended.
• Bring some sun or rain protection. The open-air park has little to no cover, save from the café and toilets.
• You won't be able to find lodging near the park. Because the Buddha Park is in the middle of nowhere, booking lodging in Vientiane or your next destination is the best choice.

Get a Laos e-visa to discover the Buddha Park in Vientiane

Finally, Vientiane has many hotels to suit various tastes and interests. Whether you're looking for luxury, tranquillity, or cultural immersion, these top hotels in Vientiane, Laos, will undoubtedly give an exceptional experience that compliments your tour through this exciting city. 

It is suggested that tourists considering a trip to Laos apply for a Laos eVisa through our website at Laos Immigration Services. This simple online approach promises a quick and easy visa application, leaving you to focus on your planned trip to Vientiane and beyond. Contact us right away to begin planning an unforgettable vacation to Vientiane.