|
(tarnished). I spent the afternoon on arrival day wandering the area near our centrally located hotel. Fortunately, several temples on my list were nearby. This was one of them. Wat Ong Tu (or Wat Ong Teu), the largest temple complex in the city, is situated on popular Setthathirath Road along with a few other well known wats (temples). The original Wat Ong Tu was built in 1566 by King Sai Setthathirat I (1550-1571) following the relocation of the Lao capital to Vientiane. Located on an ancient religious site, the original Wat Ong Tu functioned as the king's temple, & ceremonies of allegiance to the monarch were held here prior to 1975. (The communist Pathet Lao movement came to power in 1975 & the monarchy was abolished.) The original wat was destroyed in the 1827-28 during the war with Siam & has been reconstructed several times since, latterly in 1911.
|
Asia
view full-size
image -- 896 x 766)