If you are looking for a temple or Wat in the local language, there are some scattered all around Vientiane. However the temple in the center is much less ancient than the ones in Luang Prabang, an area that is recognized as a UNESCO Heritage city. Inside Vientiane, you can only see a few of the Wats and also some remnants of the past from the royals to the colonial times in Lao.

Many of the Wats aren’t as extensive as in Thailand but it poses as unique architectural construction that are quite distinctive to its neighbor Thailand. In Laos, the most striking differences that you can see is that the color of the wat that are much closer to earthy tone instead a glittering gold color. From afar the Wat in Lao looks as if they’re made of wood but they aren’t. The carvings and the buddha images are also different from the ones in Thailand. One of the differences not only lies in the position of the buddha but also the nose from the buddha that are sharper with a higher nose bridge than the buddha in Thailand or any other parts of SouthEast Asian. But before I am going to tour you around the temple, I am showing you part of the history and why this temple is a must visit.

What makes Ho Phra Kaew A Must-See and Visit

Ho Phra Kaew used to be the house of the Emerald Buddha

There is an interesting historical route called the “voyage of Emerald Buddha”. The Emerald Buddha that now resides in Thailand has a long history and a journey before finally residing in The Grand Palace complex. This is also an interesting travel route to take if you’re into history. In this route, you can visit multiple cities in Thailand and also the route will take you to Luang Prabang and Vientiane in which you will visit this small former temple, Ho Phra Kaew.

As you can see in that short historical board sign, this temple used to house the highest buddha image for 219 years until the Rama I invaded Laos and looted Vientiane and eventually took the Emerald Buddha with him. Technically, the Emerald Buddha was found in Thailand. It's definitely going back to its original country. However, what was intriguing was, what if King Rama I didn’t invade present day Vientiane? Will the Emerald Buddha stay in Vientiane and reside in Ho Phra Kaew?

How to get to Ho Phra Kaew

The museum itself is pretty accessible and is surrounded by many interesting sights such as the That Dam, Presidential palace, and also Wats including the famous Wat Sisaket. But here’s the address on Google Maps that you can easily use when visiting the place.

🚗 https://goo.gl/maps/Tqo6rLrd1ZoDNbMS7

Inside Ho Phra Kaew

This former temple turned museum is such a tiny compound. You can tour around the place in only less than 25 minutes. The entrance fee for foreigners is 30000Kip and you will get to see an interesting display from one of the jars found in Xiangkhoang Plateau which is basically a megalithic archaeological site. Then as you step inside you will see some rows of buddha images that are quite distinct from what you see in Thailand.

Inside the museum, they house some of the most important artifacts found around Vientiane and Laos.Unfortunately, visitors are not allowed to take any pictures inside the museum and there are hefty penalties and fines if you are found to take pictures inside the museum. Some things are best kept secret and mysterious just like the artifacts inside the museum. However, the good news is that you can still take pictures in the courtyard and also the patio area of the temple.

I know that some people might find this temple to be uninteresting but the interesting part lies in the history of this former temple and the emerald buddha voyage. For me personally, there are also historical sites as small as Ho Phra Kaew that turned out to be extremely intriguing as the history that it carries and how it has an importance back in the day.

In the end, I have to say that though this place may not be everyone’s cup of tea. As a history and ancient architecture enthusiast, this place was something that I should never miss while visiting Vientiane. Even personally to me, this place opens up my eyes about the Indochina kingdom and royals with its intriguing history and architecture that they produced back in the 15-17th century.