Xieng Khuan is the weird and wonderful Buddha Park of Laos. It's located about 25 km from the capital city of Vientiane. Set along the mystical Mekong River, Buddha Park is home to several eyebrow-raising sculptures. Xieng Khuan was founded in 1958 by Luang Pu Bunleua Sulilat, a priest-shaman who practiced his very own self-improvised mix of Hinduism and Buddhism. His belief system is reflected superbly in the bizarre sculptures scattered around the site.
Starting with a dome structure made up of three floors representing the three stages of the evolution of life: Hell, Earth and Heaven. The entrance is an open mouth of a demon inviting you in. Once inside, you find yourself surrounded by scenes of bliss (Earth) to then be taken aback by evil-doers depicting barbaric scenes of torture and death (Hell). Up a narrow, spiral staircase takes you to the top (Heaven) of the dome where you can see the entirety of Buddha Park splayed out in all its crazy glory.
XIENG KHUAN - THE WEIRD & WONDERFUL BUDDHA PARK OF LAOS
The park isn't very big but it still manages to entice you. You'll be taken on a journey through its collection of weird and wonderful sculptures of demons and deities. You'll be left wondering "Wtf?" is this all about. From googly-eyed giants to serpent-wrapped goddesses to multi-headed ghouls, I was in awe the whole time. This was definitely my kind of place. Not to mention, it was basically empty.
Among all the weirdness was a much more familiar image: a huge, beautiful lying Buddha. It, obviously, represented the founding priest-shaman's Buddhist faith. There aren't any descriptions on any of the sculptures; your imagination is your only guide.
Xieng Khuan Buddha Park was most definitely weird and wonderful. I highly recommend a visit if ever you're in Vientiane.
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27 Responses
M@thewanderlusteur.com
You got me at weird and wonderful. As a fashion designer, I also love to immerse myself in design around the world. I’ve pinned this for when I visit Laos! Excited!!
Chantell Collins
Oh I went here last year and absolutely adored it! I know that a lot of people don’t spend much time in Vientianne but I enjoyed my two days there including the visit to Buddha Park – well worth the trip :).
Frank Thomae
Great photos! Did you see the one just outside Nong Khai by the same man? http://bbqboy.net/visiting-amazing-sala-keoku-nong-khai-thailand/.
Just so weird isn’t it? One of the weirdest places we’ve been
Frank (bbqboy)
Lydia@Lifeuntraveled.com
I just loved the outright weirdness of this sculptural park! I didn’t go to the one in Thailand though.
Lydia@Lifeuntraveled.com
Hi Marina! Yes all the statues are open air (and the park lines the Mekong River which makes it even more whimsical). It’s really a great place to visit – I loved it!
Lydia@Lifeuntraveled.com
I was uttering a few WTF’s at some of the sculptures but they also made me smile a lot!
Lydia@Lifeuntraveled.com
Hi Ty! I didn’t quite understand the meaning of all those sculptures but I just loved how different it was from anything else we had seen in Laos. It’s a great place to visit!
Lydia@Lifeuntraveled.com
This park was so fascinating! I didn’t expect such weirdness in a country that’s mostly very conservative. Laos is definitely an interesting country known for its natural beauty. Put it on your list of places to see! 😉
Lydia@Lifeuntraveled.com
Hi Ivy! Thank you so much – that means a lot to me! I always wonder if what I share is interesting and you just put a huge smile on my face. 🙂
Lydia@Lifeuntraveled.com
Hi JM! This park was one of my favorite things in Laos because it was so different and it was empty. Laos is a wonderful country and it’s very easy to travel to/from Cambodia.
Lydia@Lifeuntraveled.com
Hi Sheri! It does look much bigger but there’s a lot packed in a small area. It’s a great park – hope you make it there one day!