Wat Si Saket (, ) is a

Buddhist Buddhism, also known as Buddhadharma and Dharmavinaya, is an Indian religion and List of philosophies, philosophical tradition based on Pre-sectarian Buddhism, teachings attributed to the Buddha, a wandering teacher who lived in the 6th or ...

wat A wat (, ; , ; , ; ; , ) is a type of Buddhist and Hindu temple in Cambodia, Laos, East Shan State (Myanmar), Yunnan (China), the Southern Province of Sri Lanka, and Thailand. Etymology The word ''wat'' is borrowed from the Sanskrit ''v ...

Vientiane Vientiane (, ) is the capital city, capital and largest city of Laos. Situated on the banks of the Mekong, Mekong River at the Thailand, Thai border, it comprises the five urban districts of Vientiane Prefecture and had a population of 840,000 ...

Laos Laos, officially the Lao People's Democratic Republic (LPDR), is the only landlocked country in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by Myanmar and China to the northwest, Vietnam to the east, Cambodia to the southeast, and Thailand to the west and ...

. It is situated on

Lan Xang Lan Xang () or Lancang was a Lao people, Lao kingdom that held the area of present-day Laos from 1353 to 1707. For three and a half centuries, Lan Xang was one of the largest kingdoms in Southeast Asia. The kingdom is the basis for Laos's nat ...

Road, on the corner with Setthathirat Road, to the northwest of Haw Phra Kaew, which formerly held the

Emerald Buddha The Emerald Buddha ( , or , ) is an image of the meditating Gautama Buddha seated in a Meditation attitude, meditative posture, made of a semi-precious green stone (jasper rather than emerald or jade), clothed in gold, and about tall. The imag ...

Overview

Wat Si Saket was built in 1818 on the order of King Anouvong (Sethathirath V.) ''Si'' is derived from the Sanskrit title of veneration Sri, prefixed to the name of

Wat Saket Wat Saket Ratchawora Mahawihan (), usually shortened to Wat Saket, is a Buddhist temple (''wat'') in Pom Prap Sattru Phai district, Bangkok, Thailand. The temple dates back to the Ayutthaya kingdom, Ayutthaya era, when it was known as Wat Sak ...

in Bangkok, which was renamed by Anouvong's contemporary, King

Rama I Phutthayotfa Chulalok (born Thongduang; 20 March 1737 – 7 September 1809), also known by his regnal name Rama I, was the founder of the Rattanakosin Kingdom (now Thailand) and the first King of Siam from the reigning Chakri dynasty. He asc ...

. Wat Si Saket was built in a contemporary style of Buddhist architecture at the time, with a surrounding

terrace Terrace may refer to: Landforms and construction * Fluvial terrace, a natural, flat surface that borders and lies above the floodplain of a stream or river * Terrace, a street suffix * Terrace, the portion of a lot between the public sidewalk a ...

and an ornate five-tiered roof, which may have kept it safe, since the armies of Siam that

sack A sack usually refers to a rectangular-shaped bag. Sack may also refer to: Bags * Flour sack * Gunny sack * Hacky sack, sport * Money sack * Paper sack * Sleeping bag * Stuff sack * Knapsack Other uses * Bed, a slang term * Sack (band), ...

ed Vientiane following Anouvong's rebellion in 1827 used the compound as their headquarters and lodging place. It may be the oldest temple still standing in Vientiane. The French colonial government restored Wat Si Saket in 1924 and again in 1930. Wat Si Saket features a

cloister A cloister (from Latin , "enclosure") is a covered walk, open gallery, or open Arcade (architecture), arcade running along the walls of buildings and forming a quadrangle (architecture), quadrangle or garth. The attachment of a cloister to a cat ...

wall with more than 2,000 ceramic and silver Buddha images. The temple also houses a

museum A museum is an institution dedicated to displaying or Preservation (library and archive), preserving culturally or scientifically significant objects. Many museums have exhibitions of these objects on public display, and some have private colle ...

Gallery

Vat Sisaket Gal.JPG, Wat Si Saket Vientiane-Wat Sisaket-02-Sim-gje.jpg, Sim Vientiane-Wat Sisaket-06-Sim-gje.jpg, Sim Vientiane-Wat Sisaket-16-Buddha-Galerie-gje.jpg, Buddha gallery Vientiane-Wat Sisaket-32-Bibliothek-gje.jpg, Library Sisaket.2.jpg, Towers Vat Sisaket toits.JPG, Drum tower Laonaga.jpg, Nāga guarding entrance Vientiane-Wat Sisaket-42-Graeber-gje.jpg, Tombs

References

External links

*
Photos of Wat Si Saket, Vientiane, Laos
Buddhist temples in Laos Buildings and structures in Vientiane 1810s establishments in Laos 19th century in Vientiane Tourist attractions in Vientiane Religious buildings and structures completed in 1818 19th-century Buddhist temples {{Laos-Buddhist-temple-stub