Wat Ho Phra Keo Temple
Laos, Vientiane, Setthathirath Street
Description:
Wat Ho Phra Keo Temple is located in Vientiane, the capital of Laos and its main cultural center. Now in the premises of this former temple is the Buddha Museum and a small shop. The temple was built around 1565 by order of King Sethatrirat. The temple housed the statuette of the Emerald Buddha, which the king brought from the city of Chiang Mai.
When Vientiane was captured in 1778 by Siam, now Thailand, the statuette was taken to Bangkok and the temple was destroyed. Now the statuette of the Emerald Buddha is still in Bangkok, in a temple that bears the same name. In Thailand, the Emerald Buddha of Laos is revered as one of the nation’s major shrines. Despite requests from Laos, Thailand returned only a copy of the Emerald Buddha, which is now stored in a former temple.
The temple is located in a garden decorated in the French style and there is a unique atmosphere of harmony and tranquility.