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Phousi Hill (Sacred Hill), Luang Prabang

Mount Phousi, also written Mount Phu Si, is a 100 m (328 ft) high hill in the centre of the old town of Luang Prabang in Laos.

It lies in the heart of the old town peninsula and is bordered on one side by the Mekong River and on the other side by the Nam Khan River. The hill is a local religious site, and houses several Buddhist shrines.

Phousi Hill with captions.
In this scheme we are seeing Mount Phousi from south to north.

  • The street we see below is Kingkitsarath Street, parallel to the Nam Khan River.

Arriving at the courtyard with the two buddhas and the two monks.
We arrive at this courtyard by coming along a dirt path that runs from north to south.

  • In addition to this dirt path from north to south, there are two staircases that give access to the top of the hill.
  • The staircase from northwest to southeast, which rises opposite the Royal Palace Museum on Sisavongvang road, tends to be the most popular route up to the top with only 328 steps.
  • The staircase from from northeast to southwest, begins next to the Nam Khan river on Thanon Phousi, with 355 steps.

Courtyard with two buddhas and two monks.
The fat Buddha in the center is actually a monk named Budai.

  • Budai is a nickname given to the ancient Chinese monk Qici who is often identified with and venerated as Maitreya Buddha in Chan Buddhism. With the spread of Chan Buddhism, he also came to be venerated in Vietnam, Korea, and Japan. He is said to have lived around the 10th century CE in the Wuyue kingdom.
  • The name "Budai" literally means "cloth sack", and refers to the bag he is usually depicted carrying as he wanders aimlessly. His jolly nature, humorous personality, and eccentric lifestyle distinguish him from most Buddhist masters or figures. He is almost always shown smiling or laughing, hence his nickname in Chinese, the "Laughing Buddha".
  • As Budai is traditionally depicted as overweight and having a huge stomach (possibly a symbol of abundance or forgiveness) and many stories surrounding Budai involve his love of food and drink, he is also referred to as the "Fat Buddha", especially in the Western world, and is often mistaken by Westerners to be the original Buddha, Siddhartha Gautama.
  • See more at Budai - Wikipedia.

Drum tower (Hor Kong).
One of the most interesting aspects of Mount Phousi lies in the legend which surrounds it.

  • Tradition has it that at the site of the sacred hill there used to be a deep pit that led to the centre of the earth. Helped by villagers, a monk went down into the pit and found an immense treasure.
  • The villagers seized the treasure and buried the monk alive by sealing the entrance to the pit.
  • However, armed with magical charms, the monk succeeded in extricating himself after defeating the seven guardians of the treasure.
  • News of this murder attempt reached the ears of the king of Luang Prabang, who punished the villagers by condemning them to take turns in beating drums, gongs and cymbals every three hours to stop the dragons from disturbing mankind.

Tuesday Buddha.
The Tuesday Buddha is represented by a pose whereby it is lying on its right side with head resting on its right arm and the toes perfectly parallel to each other.

  • The image represents Buddha making himself bigger than the evil Asura Rahu in a reclining position as to lower the pride of Asura Rahu. Seeing the sheer magnitude of Buddha in this relaxed position led to Asura Rahu succumbing to the Buddha and accepting his teachings.
  • Normally a person born on a Tuesday will be serious, active and brave.

Buddha with five disciples.
The Buddha preached his first sermon after his Enlightenment in Deer Park in Sarnath.

  • The dharmachakra Pravartana or "turning of the wheel" mudra represents that moment.
  • In general, only Gautama Buddha is shown making this mudra except Maitreya as the dispenser of the Law.
  • Dharmachakra mudra is two hands close together in front of the chest in vitarka with the right palm forward and the left palm upwards, sometimes facing the chest.
  • See more at Mudra: Dharmachakra Pravartana Mudrā - Wikipedia.

Thursday Buddha.
The Thursday Buddha is often referred to as the meditating buddha and is represented in a seated pose with hands resting in the lap.

  • The story goes that having received bundles of grass, Buddha scattered them and remained seated on top vowing to stay seated until completing full enlightenment. Due to his steadfast determination he was able to achieve this.
  • Generally, a person born on a Thursday will be peaceful, honest and calm which is reflected in the most relaxed of buddha postures.

Saturday Buddha.
The Saturday Buddha is represented in full lotus position in the midst of meditation under the protection of the Naga Muchalinda.

  • It is said that the pose reflects a time following enlightenment when the Naga King protected a meditating Buddha against exposure to heavy rainfall by using his multi-headed hood for shelter while lifting him above flooded waters using his body.
  • Normally a person born on a Saturday will be introverted yet calm and logical.

Staircase with snakes acting as handrails.
Many Buddhist temples in Thailand and Laos are located on the top of a hill or a mountain. Most of them have a Naga staircase lined on both sides with a snake-like being, called Naga.

  • This has its origin in the myth of the Buddha. The Buddha had reached enlightenment and was meditating under a Bodhi tree when it started raining heavily. A snake-like creature appeared. It sheltered the Buddha with its hoods from the rain. This was the Naga called Mucalinda. The Naga is often portrayed with multiple heads.

Reclining Buddha.
A reclining Buddha is an image that represents Buddha lying down and is a major iconographic theme in Buddhist art. It represents the historical Buddha during his last illness, about to enter the parinirvana. He is lying on his right side, his head resting on a cushion or relying on his right elbow, supporting his head with his hand.

  • For Thai Buddha attitudes, the reclining Buddha can refer to three different episodes, whilst the attribute of each remains unclear: 1) Nirvana attitude, 2) Teaching the Rahu Asurin attitude, 3) Sleeping attitude.
  • See more at Reclining Buddha - Wikipedia.

Calming the Ocean Buddha.
Although both hands raised in Abhaya mudra is called “calming the ocean”, the gesture refers to an event when the Buddha stopped a flood caused by a river.

  • During a journey, the Buddha came to the village of three hermits who were fire worshipers. He requested one of them, named Kasyapa, for a place to spend the night. The hermit gave the Buddha a hut on the banks of the river. When the raging river threatened to submerge the hut, the Buddha stopped the waters from rising. Seeing this, the hermits and their followers became followers of the Buddha.

Wednesday Buddha.
The Wednesday Buddha posture is one where it is standing with both hands wrapped around an alms bowl.

  • The statue signifies caring for others. While many initially believed that the statue illustrated a “begging” Buddha – this is in fact not the case. Rather, they collected alms from others which afforded others to acquire merit (i.e. good karma). Unlike the other days of the week, your characteristics are determined by the time of day in which you were born.
  • Normally a person born on a Wednesday will be polite, emotional and artistic.

Monday Buddha.
The posture of the Monday Buddha is one where the figure is standing with its right hand raised at shoulder height with the palm facing out.

  • It represents Buddha pacifying the relatives after returning from heaven after three months to relatives arguing about waters flowing through their respective lands. Buddha was able to persuade them to compromise.
  • Normally a person born on a Monday will be a serious individual with a love of travel and an exceptional memory.

Sunday Buddha.
The Sunday Buddha posture consists of a Buddha standing with across crossed in front with the right hand always covering the left.

  • It represents a time soon after Buddha obtained enlightenment after he stood for 7 consecutive days in front of a bodhi tree without blinking an eye.
  • Normally a person born on a Sunday will be deemed to be respectable, loved by both friends and family, and wise.

Gate guardians (Dvarapala).
Access to the east stairs leading to the main temple is protected by two gate guardians.

  • A Dvarapala or Dvarapalaka (Sanskrit, "door guard") is a door or gate guardian often portrayed as a warrior or fearsome giant, usually armed with a weapon - the most common being the mace (gada).
  • In most Southeast Asian languages (including Thai, Burmese, Vietnamese, Khmer, and Javanese), these protective figures are referred to as dvarapala. Sanskrit dvara means "gate" or "door", and pala means "guard" or "protector".
  • See more at Dvarapala - Wikipedia.

Small stupa at the top of the stairs.

View of Luang Prabang and the Mekong River.
In this photo we can see Luang Prabang and the Mekong River. On the other side of the river are the Wat Long Koon and Wat Chomphet temples.

  • In the upper left corner of the photo we can see the Wat Chomphet temple.

Seven-headed serpent (Naga).
In various Asian religious traditions, the Nagas are a divine, or semi-divine, race of half-human, half-serpent beings that reside in the netherworld (Patala), and can occasionally take human or part-human form, or are so depicted in art.

  • The Naga is believed to live in the Laotian stretch of the Mekong or its estuaries.
  • Lao mythology maintains that the nagas are the protectors of Vientiane, and by extension, the Lao state.
  • The association with nagas was most clearly articulated during and immediately after the reign of Anouvong. An important poem from this period San Leupphasun discusses relations between Laos and Thailand in a veiled manner, using the Naga and the Garuda to represent the Lao and the Thai, respectively.
  • The Naga is incorporated extensively into Lao iconography, and features prominently in Lao culture throughout the length of the country, not only in Vientiane.
  • See more at Nāga: Laos - Wikipedia.

Hermit sage Ruesi.
Ruesi is a hermit sage, the equivalent of Rishi in India. In Indian religions, a rishi is an accomplished and enlightened person.

  • Rishi Akkhata, known as Phra Reusi Akkhot in Thailand, is an important Ruesi in Southeast Asia, as in the Buddhist Jataka scriptures, this Ruesi is mentioned as the bodhisatta and practiced his ascetism in Sri Lanka and Southeast Asia.
  • Veneration of Ruesis is a notable practice in Southeast Asian Buddhism.
  • See more at Ruesi in Cambodia, Thailand, Myanmar and Laos - Wikipedia.

Drum tower of Wat Tham Phousi.

Wat Tham Phousi seen from the northeast.
This small wat, open on one side, almost like a sanctuary, is literally attached to the rock.

  • It is topped by two overlapping roofs ending in Cho Fa and supported by two hexagonal columns whose capitals are decorated in red and gold.
  • The pediment is simple, engraved in red and gold with a Buddha placed in the center of swirling floral and foliage motifs.

Interior of Wat Tham Phousi.
Inside there is a large statue of Buddha, in the Pha Kachai style.


Holy water spring at the top of the hill.
This source of holy water is located between the temple and the stupa.


Temple bell.
The temple bell wakes the temple residents early in the morning and calls the monks together for devotions and meals. It also announces lunchtime, as monks are not allowed to eat solid food after noon.

  • In contrast to Western bells, which are swung back and forth so that the clapper inside strikes the bell wall to make it ring, a bell in Thailand and Laos is permanently suspended. It is struck from the outside with a wooden stick, very slowly at first, then faster and faster. The sequence ends with one or two slow strokes.
  • See more at Bell tower (wat) - Wikipedia.

That Chomsi.
The 24m-high That Chomsi, erected in 1804 and restored in 1914, stands at the summit, clearly visible from most ground-level points in the city.

  • This stupa is the starting point for a colourful Lao New Year procession in mid-April.

View of Luang Prabang from the stupa.
The red roof that is clearly visible in the photo is the roof of the Wat May temple.


Views of Luang Prabang from the stupa.
The building that is clearly visible in the photo is the roof of the National Museum.


Children with little birds in cages.
Children climbing the hill with little birds in cages to release them at the top of the hill.

  • You may purchase little birds in reed cages, and set them free at the top of the hill.
  • This will give you merit for your next life.

Holy tree seen from above.
On the northern slope of the mountain there is a holy tree that is halfway up the climb.

  • A sacred tree or holy tree is a tree which is considered to be sacred, or worthy of spiritual respect or reverence.
  • Tree worship is core part of religions which include aspects of animism as core elements of their belief, which is the eco-friendly belief that trees, forests, rivers, mountains, etc have a life force ('anime' i.e. alive) and need to be conserved and used in a sustainable manner.
  • The sacred Banyan tree is the national tree of India, and the Bodhi Tree under which the Buddha is said to have meditated in Bodh Gaya, is also revered as sacred.
  • Sacred trees are some times planted in the sacred groves, which can also have other type of trees too.
  • See more at Sacred tree - Wikipedia.

Sign telling a legend.
Sign informing that a legend tells that Mount Phousi was brought from Ceylon (Sri Lanka) by the monkey king, Hanuman.

  • According to legend, Hanuman uproots a mountain from Sri Lanka and brings it back to Luang Prabang, leaving Sita free to choose whichever mushrooms she wants. And this is how Mount Phousi got its name!
  • Imagine Hanuman flying a mountain from Lanka to Luang Prabang so that Sita can eat mushrooms.

Holy tree seen from the east.
The Bodhi Tree ("tree of awakening"), also called the Mahabodhi Tree, Bo Tree, is a large sacred fig tree (Ficus religiosa) located in Bodh Gaya, Bihar, India. Siddhartha Gautama, the spiritual teacher who became known as the Buddha, is said to have attained enlightenment or buddhahood circa 500 BCE under this tree.

  • In religious iconography, the Bodhi Tree is recognizable by its heart-shaped leaves, which are usually prominently displayed.
  • The original tree under which Siddhartha Gautama sat is no longer living, but the term "bodhi tree" is also applied to existing sacred fig trees.
  • In Theravada Buddhist Southeast Asia, the tree's massive trunk is often the site of Buddhist or animist shrines.
  • See more at Bodhi Tree - Wikipedia and Ficus religiosa: Buddhism - Wikipedia.

Gate guardians (Dvarapala).
Access to the north stairs leading to the main temple is protected by two gate guardians.


Small stupa at the beginning of the north stairs.

Wat Pa Huak (Bamboo Forest Monastery).
On the lower slopes of the hill is one of the oldest (and now abandoned) temples in Luang Prabang.

  • The decaying sǐm at Wat Pa Huak – on the lower northern slope near the Royal Palace Museum – has a splendid carved wood and mosaic façade showing Buddha riding Airavata, the three headed elephant of Hindu mythology (in which he is usually depicted as Lord Indra’s mount).
  • The gilded and carved front doors are often locked, but during the day there’s usually an attendant nearby who will open the doors for a tip of a couple of hundred kip.
  • Inside, the original 19th-century murals have excellent colour, considering the lack of any restoration. The murals show historic scenes along the Mekong River, including visits by Chinese diplomats and warriors arriving by river and horse caravans.
  • Three large seated Buddhas and several smaller standing and seated images date from the same time as the murals or possibly earlier.

Street seller of tiny birds.
The tiny birds are kept in straw cages. They are sold to pilgrims to be released at the top of the hill. It is believed that this way they increase their merit and will have a better life in the next incarnation.

  • Merit release is a ritual of releasing animals from captivity, as a way to make merit. Merit release is a practice common in many Buddhist societies, and has since the 2010s made a comeback in some societies.
  • It often involves a large number of animals which are released simultaneously, as well as chanting, making a resolution, and transfer of merits.
  • Though the most common practice is the releasing of fish and birds back in nature, there are also other forms: in Tibet, animals are bought from the slaughterhouse to release.
  • However, the practice has come under criticism by wildlife conservationists and scholars.
  • See more at Merit (Buddhism): Merit release - Wikipedia.

See also

Source

Location

Location: Luang Prabang, Laos