Buddha Park (Xieng Khuan), Laos

Buddha Park (aka Xieng Khuan) is a famous park with more than 200 religious statues including a huge 40-metre high reclining Buddha image. It was built in 1958 by Luang Pu Bunleua Sulilat, a monk who studied both Buddhism and Hinduism. This is why his park is full not only of Buddha images but also of Hindu gods as well as demons.

Buddha Park is more curious than spectacular – which makes for a curious spectacle. A rogue monk is said to have attempted to reconsolidate Buddhism and Hinduism into his own brand of mysticism through a prolific collection of sculptures depicting various deities and scenes from both religions. The information provided at the park is less dramatic, simply stating that Bunleua Sulilat constructed this sculpture garden in 1958 before fleeing across the Mekong to Thailand in 1978 and building a sister park across the river in Nong Khai.

The park provides no context for the various myths it depicts, except for the giant concrete pumpkin that is supposed to represent hell, earth and heaven. The weathered and crumbling sculptures – made from cement with steel frames, not carved stone – range from beautifully serene to the grotesquely surreal. For most visitors a trip here is simply snapping pictures of the enormous reclining Buddha, the many bizarre sculptures and climbing atop the giant gourd.

Buddha Park (Xieng Khuan), Laos

Buddha Park, also called Wat Xieng Khuang, is located 25 kilometres from downtown Vientiane on the Mekong. It’s a few kilometres past the Friendship Bridge. From the central bus station (at Talat Sao/the morning market), take bus route 14, an air-conditioned green and white bus that runs regularly to/from the Friendship Bridge, cost 6,000 kip. As of 2015, the bitumen road ends in front of Buddha Park and it is literally the last stop. Let the driver know you want to get off at Buddha Park but if you’re a foreigner still on the bus past the Friendship Bridge, they usually assume that’s where you want to go. Combine it with a visit to the Lao Disabled Women’s Development Centre which is also just after the Friendship Bridge, on the same bus route.

Buddha Park (Xieng Khuan) - Top 10 Attractions in Laos

There is a local eatery and cafe offering food and drinks to tourists at one end of the park right next to the Mekong River that makes a great spot to chill after all the walking and climbing. Among the popular snacks are papaya salad, fried bananas and cold Lao beer. It also has a souvenir shop and restrooms. There is a small fee for entering the park as well as for photography.