Vientiane: the Second Sip

Spelling

Laos was a French colony and thus the spelling of most of its attractions was done first using the French spelling. That is the way it appears written at the monuments entrances. However, in recent years the English spelling is becoming more popular; this is a usual point of confusion while in Vientiane. For clarity, I am using the French spelling of this temple, the way it has been cemented down at its gate; the English spelling is: Wat Haw Pha Kaew

Meaning

The meaning of the name is less ambiguous than its spelling; it means the Hall of the Jewel Buddha. It makes reference to the fact that the Emerald Buddha was stored here while it was in Vientiane. See my Indiana Jones and the Emerald Buddha journal for more details.

The Emerald Buddha

The early history of the Emerald Buddha can be found in my journal Indiana Jones and the Emerald Buddha. In 1390AC, King Mahabhrom of Chiang Rai took it from Kampangpetch, Cambodia and hided it inside a stuppa. Only in 1434AC it was revealed after the stuppa was split open by a thunderbolt; the jade was thought to be emerald and the image modern name was coined. Mueng Komp, then Governor of Chiang Rai, reported the finding to King Fang Sam Nae of Chiang Mai who sent an elephant procession to bring it to his capital. However, the elephants brought the figurine to Lampang, where it stayed for thirty-two years. Afterwards, in 1468AC, it was finally moved to Chiang Mai, the capital of the Lanna Kingdom.

Eighty-five years later, in 1552AC, Laotian invaders took it from there to Luang Prabang, the capital of the Lan Xang Kingdom, and later, in 1564AC, to Vientiane, the new Laotian capital.

When the Thai King Taksin declared war against the Laotians 200 years later, the image was captured and taken to the Thai capital of Thonburi by the general Chakri, who became Rama I, the founder of the actual Chakri dynasty.

The Temple

The temple was constructed in 1565 to house the Emerald Buddha, which stayed there until 1778. In 1827 Vientiane was destroyed by Siamese troops in revenge for King Anouvong attacking Siam in an attempt to get back the statue, and the temple was destroyed. It was reconstructed with French help in the 1930’s, by Prince Souvanna Phouma, and became a museum of Lao art. The restoration was performed upon his return to Laos following his engineering studies in France; the That Luang Stuppa was restored in parallel.

The temple was built in a classical Lao fashion; trying to find the similarities and differences with the Thai similar constructions is a way to enrich the visit. The spirit’s exits at the roof corners are one of the most curious items to be observed. The structure is much more interesting than the works within it, photographing it is permitted; however, photographing the works is forbidden.

Location

Wat Si Saket is just northwest of Wat Ho Prha Keo (Wat Haw Pha Kaew), on Lane Xang Road corner Setthathirath Road. The Lane Xang Avenue is the main one in Vientiane, connecting the government palace with Patuxai, thus the temple enjoys a central location in downtown Vientiane. The avenue’s name is related to the temple’s history – see the History section of this entry for details.

The Temple

Dating back to 1818, Wat Si Saket is the oldest temple in Vientiane, and one of the only structures in the city to survive the Thai invasion of 1828. It was built in Siamese style. The Lao and Thai styles are quite similar, but the giveaway sign is the terrace surrounding the temple and the five-tiered roof. Its unusual shape kept it safe from the Thai aggressor who destroyed Vientiane in 1828. In 1935 – during the peak of a massive restoration period sponsored by the French - the temple was restored and transformed into a museum.

The History

The temple was built by the King Anouvong, ruler then of the Lane Xang Kingdom. That tiny principality - a Thai vassal state by then - was one of the three which were later melted into modern Laos; it had its capital in Vientiane. The unusual shape of the temple has a solid historic justification, since King Anouvong grew up in Thailand. In 1804 he succeeded his brother in the Laotian throne. In 1818 he commanded the construction of Wat Si Saket, and its shape is a silent testimony to his early years in Thailand.

The later destruction of Vientiane was a result of his revolt against the Thais, which included an attempt to recover the Emerald Buddha, a talisman taken from Vientiane in 1778 (see the Wat Ho Prha Keo entry in this journal and the Indiana Jones and the Emerald Buddha Journal for details). From that moment onwards – until Laos became a French Colony – the temple was the place were the Laotian leaders were forced to swear loyalty to the Thai.

The Collection

Wat Si Saket offers the richest Buddhist Art collection in Laos. It features a cloister wall with thousands of ceramic and silver Buddha figures and statues, which vary in size from a few centimeters in height to over one and a half meters tall. Unlike similar institutions in the area, all the statues are original; some of them date back to the 15th century. The unusual inner yard and the long statues-delimited corridors surrounding it makes the visit something of an unusual event while in Vientiane.

The Visit

A visit to Wat Si Saket is better coordinated together with a visit to the nearby Wat Ho Prha Keo. The justification for that is not only their physical closeness, but their almost inseparable history and the shared themes featured by the two. The museum is open from 8am to 4pm, with an hour break at noon.

After traveling for a long time in South East Asia, most morning markets blurred-up inside my mind into an archetypal one. That is, with the exception of two: the yellow dome over a crossed shaped structure of Phnom Penh’s Morning Market is as unforgettable as the green slanted roofs of Vientiane’s one.

Location

Vientiane’s Morning Market enjoys a superb location on Lane Xang Avenue; thus it is a natural stop while exploring downtown. In front of it, is Vientiane’s central bus terminal; as if it was an extension of it, the front side of the market hosts a truck parking lot.

The Market

Unlike most Asian Morning Markets, this two-story market is covered by several green sloping roofs and is big enough to host most of the commercial activities of the town. It is open from before 7am until around 4pm.

The Merchandise

Fake Rolex and real Timex watches, gold, silver, traditional Laotian black clothes, T-shirts, shoes, fixing stalls for anything imaginable, and electronic gadgets stalls comfortably lie side by side, in that leisured fashion so typical of Laos. The traders’ attitude is live and let live; that means there is no active touting from their side. The second floor has a large jewelry section; the local silver is widely known and it is offered in interesting designs.

The Food

The real jewels of this market are the three food centers at its sides, two of them in front of the main post office and the third south from there, in front of the bus terminal. The excellent coffee served here, has been described in another entry, but the Lao culinary wonders do not end there. Noodle soup is the most basic choice and it is prepared with a variation of meats – mainly pork, chicken, duck and water buffalo – but stranger options are available. Tasty laap salads are recommended; they are available at the inner part of the central court and are prepared with minced meat, lime, mint leaves and chilies. The duck’s version is excellent; beware of the chilies, they are young and fierce. Baguette sandwiches filled with all the goods Laos offers are readily available; next to them are the classical "meat over rice" dishes, the "pork knees" are excellent. The food is clean and safe with the exception of nâm pa ("water-fish"), a fermented fish sauce which is ubiquitous but not recommended because sometimes it carries parasites – not that anyone will add it to the food after smelling it.

Food plazas in Asian markets are arranged in a different style of those in western malls. The main difference is that their stalls do not serve complete meals; each one specializes in a few dishes and if you want a complex meal, you should wander among the stalls and order each dish separately.

The End of an Era

Nowadays, a new structure for the market is being built. Sadly, the four-story structure resembles a Western shopping mall; upon its completion one of the most charming spots in Vientiane would change forever.

The Monument

The That Dam–or Black Stuppa–is one of the oldest structures in Vientiane, dating back to the 15th century. It is a classical Buddhist Stuppa, and its significance and strength are augmented by its humble size. It offers a sharp contrast to the That Luang (also in Vientiane – see separate entry) which is one of the biggest stuppas in the world.

Stuppas

Stuppas are designed to resemble the Buddha’s folded garments, inverted rice bowl, and walking stick arranged vertically, but they can also be interpreted as a symbol of the three different stages in the Buddhist spiritual development. The asymptotic approach of the temple to Nirvana at its top is especially meaningful and symbolic.

The Location

The That Dam hides in a short alley in front of the US Embassy in Vientiane. It is very close to the Namphou Fountain, the Lane Xang Avenue and to all the other main attractions in downtown Vientiane. It occupies the center of a roundabout and can thus be visited at all times.

The Legend

Over time a legend was attached to this old structure; a seven-headed Naga (mythological serpent of the Indian mythology) is said to live in a cave beneath the stuppa. The Naga exits it every time the inhabitants face a serious danger; it is said the Naga saved the inhabitants lives during the Thai invasion of 1828.

The History

In 1804 King Anouvong succeeded his brother in the Laotian throne. The 1828 destruction of Vientiane was a result of his revolt against the Thais, which included an attempt to recover the Emerald Buddha, a talisman taken from Vientiane in 1778 (see the Wat Ho Prha Keo entry in this journal and the Indiana Jones and the Emerald Buddha Journal for details). While retreating, the Thais destroyed much of the city and burned it; the That Dam (together with Wat Si Saket – see separate entry) was one of the few structures to survive. The black stains on the stuppa are a silent testimony of that fire that can be seen even nowadays.

The Name

That Dam’s common name refers to the dark scars left by that fire; however, moss adds a touch of green over the red bricks. The monument’s colors are a touching indication to the complexity of local history and are thus much more evocative than the usual gold-leaves attached on stuppas.

One of the most obvious characteristics of Vientiane is the splendid mixture between local architecture and customs and the ones brought by the French during the colonial period. Nowhere is the syncretism more palpable than in the Patuxai Arc, which was nonetheless built much after the French left and became one of the main features of Vientiane.

The Name

Patuxai means, in Laotian, "Gate of Triumph", and is the last name awarded to the monument. Earlier it was named Anousavary Kao, which incongruously means the "Old Monument," despite it being built quite recently, in the 1960s. The point is that everything built in Laos before the revolution had been tagged as old. The "Vertical Runway" is another popular name that refers to the fact that the cement for its construction was donated by the Americans for the construction of a runway.

The Rationale

A former French colony, Laos decided to commemorate its independence struggle with a monument resembling one of the best known features of Paris — their colonial masters’ capital.

The Monument

At first sight, Patuxai resembles the Arc de Triomphe in Paris. However a closer look shows a top which is clearly inspired by Buddhist motifs and a solid cement main body that is obviously far less attractive than the original one. To demonstrate its supremacy over the original, Patuxai features four gates, one on each side, as compared to the mere two gates of its Parisian brother. One of the most striking features is the kinnari figures, a mythological half-bird, half-woman creature. The ceiling features a beautiful and detailed artwork, mixing Western and Laotian motifs.

The Visit

The entrance to the top levels is done from below the arch and costs 1000Kip (roughly a dime); the monument is open from 8am to 5pm. While climbing to the open roof, many stalls selling knickknacks are crossed. Only the top level offers good views of the surroundings; however, the mid-levels terraces offer striking views of the structure details, especially of the elaborately ornamented roof.

The Interior

The way to the roof is done through the boxy inner space. Made out of naked cement with a wide cement staircase, the place is somewhat eerie and seems not to belong to the attractive outer side of the structure. However, it is surprisingly cool and provides thus a good reason for stopping by the stalls.

The View

The roof offers the best available view of Vientiane from within the city, including of the Mekong River. The low city appears among green patches of the dense vegetation which covers big parts of it and is oddly beautiful; all the main buildings in the city are easily recognizable from the top.

Timing

The best hours for a visit are in the late afternoon, when the harsh sub-tropical sun is softer and allows taking better pictures.