Wat Xieng Thong is Luang Prabang's "oldest and most frequently visited temple." Located on the cusp of the peninsula where the Nam Khan joins the Mekong, the wat compound contains the main temple with beautiful swooping roof lines and an interior where gold stencil work depicts dharma wheels and exploits from the life of King Chanthaphaniit, the king many Lao consider the last good king.
Three chapels and several ornate stupas dot the surface of the rest of the compound. My favorite chapel contained two reclining figures, one a sinuous reclining Buddha and the other a lovely reclining member of the feline family.
Unlike other temples I have visited , tourists were free to take photos of interiors, which made the main temple and the chapels seem like museums as well as places of contemplation and prayer.
However, the absence of novices and monks may have been due to the day (Sunday) or the time of day I was there.
No comments:
Post a Comment