If you love temples, then you are certainly at the right place. Vientiane, Laos’ capital, does not really resemble a capital city. With a population of about 750,000, it feels more like a small town actually. Which is good for sightseeing, don’t you think? And lot’s to see there is! Let us present to you an iconic temple, the oldest the city has to offer and that comes to you today in picture perfect form. Welcome to Wat Sisaket.

The temple was completed in 1824, making it 187 years in age. Not that old, you may think, but considering that it still retains its original structure and has not been re-modeled makes it even more impressive.  And to add to the mystique and age of the monastery, the paint has worn off, giving the impression that Wat Sisaket is nothing more than a simple wooden structure.

The temple actually shared architectural elements more commonly found in Thai monasteries. This ended up saving the temple. Just four years after the temple’s completion, Vientiane was raided by Siamese forces. Much of the town was sacked, saved for a few structures (including Wat Sisaket) which they left intact, due to architectural similarities with their own country’s temples.

The defining feature of Wat Sisaket is its thousands of small niches in the outer wall. Each of these holes hold a pair of small Buddha images, numbering in the thousands! Some of these little guys date as far back as the 15^th century. And in front of these miniature images are more conventional sized Buddha statues in the seating position.

What’s interesting about Wat Sisaket is that it is officially coined a museum (you can clearly see the signpost regarding it as Sisaket Museum). And why not? Also inside the monastery walls are crumbling remains of a library, old book cabinets and small stupas containing ashes of former devotees. But don’t forget, the site is a temple first and foremost, with several monks and novices in residence and practicing monastery life.

Your tour of Vientiane will certainly include a stop at Wat Sisaket. And you’ll experience for yourself the small town feel and history-laden nature of this laid back capital city.

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