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Wat Visoun (Temple of King Visoun), Luang Prabang

Originally built in 1513 during the reign of Chao Wisunarat (King Visoun), Wat Visoun (also Wat Wisunarat) is the oldest operating temple in Luang Prabang. It was rebuilt between 1896 and 1898 following an 1887 fire set by Black Flag Haw raiders.

King Visoun reign was prosperous and peaceful with a large number of shrines and monuments being constructed, including the Maha Vihara of Wat Visoun, which he built to house the palladium of Luang Prabang, the Phra Bang, which had been at Vientiane since 1359.

The Phra Bang has long been seen by devout Buddhists as a symbol of the right to rule Laos, as only a commendable and virtuous government deserves to be caretaker of such a sacred image. In 1705, it was taken to Vientiane. In 1778, the Siamese (now Thai) invaded Vientiane and captured the Phra Bang, taking it with them to Bangkok. There, political upheaval and misfortune were attributed to the statue, and in 1782, it was returned to the Lao people. Again in 1828, the Siamese captured the Phra Bang but once more returned it in 1867, after a similar period of political upheaval. In 2013, the Phra Bang was moved from the Lao National Museum in Vientiane to the Haw Pha Bang, on the Royal Palace grounds.

Southeast entrance to Wat Visoun.

Main facade of Wat Visoun, seen from the southeast.

  • The front roof that slopes sideways over the terrace is an unique feature.

Main facade of Wat Visoun, viewed from the northeast.

Wat Visoun drum tower (Hor Kong).
The drum tower is a prominent feature of many Buddhist temples in Laos and throughout Asia.


That Makmo stupa.
The That Pathum, or Stupa of the Great Lotus was built in the early 16th century. The 35 meter high stupa is in Singhalese style, the only one of its kind in Laos.

  • The stupa is also known as That Makmo, which translates to “watermelon stupa”, because of the dome at the top that resembles a watermelon.
  • The stupa sits on top of a square platform. On each of its four corners is a lotus pedestal.

To the north we can see Phousi Hill.

Roof of Wat Visoun.
The roof’s ends are adorned with Naga finials. At the center of the roof is a Dok so fa, an ornamental element consisting of 17 miniature stupas covered by parasols.

  • The Dok so fa can be translated from Lao to English as “jutting outward to the sky”. This decorative piece is meant to represent the Buddhist universe.
  • The central spire represents the sacred mountain of Mt. Meru and the other spires below it show the rest of the universe as they come into and go out of existence through infinity.

Windows of Wat Visoun.
The original was wooden, and in the brick and stucco restoration the builders tried to make the balustraded windows of the sim (ordination hall) appear to be fashioned of lathed wood (an old South Indian and Khmer contrivance that is uncommon in Lao architecture).


Flower stupa for sale at the entrance to the temple.

The largest Buddha image of Luang Prabang.
The sim (ordination hall) houses the largest Buddha image of Luang Prabang.

  • Around the gilded image is a large number of small images in several mudras.
  • The bronze and wooden images, many of which are gilded are up to 400 years old.

Questioning the Buddha with Chien Tung sticks.
To ask questions to the Buddha we use Chien Tung sticks.

  • Kau chim, kau cim, chien tung, "lottery poetry" and Chinese fortune sticks are names for a fortune telling practice that originated in China in which a person poses questions and interprets answers from flat sticks inscribed with text or numerals.
  • In Thailand, kau chim is commonly known as seam si (alternatively spelled siem si, siem see).
  • The papers contain lyrical notes that describes your life at the present time with the purpose of helping you reflect on how you can be better. It is important to highlight that despite the name, the papers do not actually predict your fortune or future.
  • The tradition is very similar to o-mikuji, which is practised at Japanese shrines with the key difference being that o-mikuji is more superstitious and is purchased with money.
  • See more at Kau chim - Wikipedia and O-mikuji - Wikipedia.

Consulting the Oracle.
If you want to get a feel for what this oracle is like, try the Oracle of the Psalms.

  • Holding your prayer book in your hands open to the psalter, concentrate on your question while praying, with closed eyes:
  • Holy God, I seek Your counsel by Your knowledge and by Your power I seek strength and I ask You from Your immense favor, for verily You are able while I am not and verily You know while I do not and You are the Knower of the unseen.
  • With your eyes still closed, listen and feel for any inner promptings to turn pages, and subsequently, the impetus to stop turning them. With your eyes still closed, move your right index finger slowly across both open pages until you feel moved to stop.
  • Open your eyes, read the passage(s) upon which your finger has stopped. Contemplate for a time on how this passage relates to your situation.
  • See more at Bibliomancy - Wikipedia.

Naga Buddha statue.
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.

  • Among the notable nagas of Buddhist tradition is Mucalinda, nagaraja and protector of the Buddha.
  • In the Vinaya Sutra (I, 3), shortly after his enlightenment, the Buddha is meditating in a forest when a great storm arises, but graciously, King Mucalinda gives shelter to the Buddha from the storm by covering the Buddha's head with his seven snake heads. Then the king takes the form of a young Brahmin and renders the Buddha homage.
  • See more at Nāga: Buddhism - Wikipedia.

Temple screen with scene from the Indian epic Ramayana.
This dynamic temple screen depicts scenes from the Hindu epic the Ramayana, which consists of 24,000 verses and narrates the life of Prince Rama, an embodiment of the Hindu god Vishnu.

  • The dramatic tale climaxes with the abduction of Rama’s wife, Sita, by the demon-king Ravana, and the gruesome war that follows.
  • Rama and his allies of bears and monkeys battle Ravana’s monstrous troops until Rama emerges victorious and rescues his wife.
  • See more at Ramayana - Wikipedia.

Calling for Rain Buddhas.
Inside the sim (ordination hall) is a collection of gilded wooden ‘Calling for Rain’ Buddhas and 15th- to 16th-century Luang Prabang siimaa (ordination-precinct stones). These were placed here by Prince Phetsarat after the Haw invasion.

  • The Buddha has both arms stretched out at his sides with his hands bent downwards.
  • This mudra is known as the “Calling for Rain” posture, and, as its name suggests, its origin is tied to a story where the Buddha summoned the skies to rain during a time of draught.

See also

Source

Location

Location: V4PQ+R9J, Luang Prabang, Laos