VAT SISAKHET

This vat is a historical paradox as it is both the oldest and the newest temple in Vientiane. Indeed, it was built only a few years before the arrival of the Siamese in the city, at the beginning of the 19th century, but remains the oldest monastery as it is the only one that has never been destroyed by the invaders. Vat Sisakhet was founded on Thursday, March 4, 1819 by Chao Anou, the last king of Vientiane known as Anouvong.

At the time of its foundation, it had a name of Pali origin - Wat Sattasahatsa Vihararama - which means "monastery of the hundred thousand blissed". It is said to have been renamed Vat Sisakhet by the first Laotians who returned to Vientiane after their massive deportation on the right bank of the Mekong and who discovered this large statue of Buddha with his big head (sisa in pali) and the flame above it (ketu).

On the left, before the entrance to the cloister, is the old library of the temple. The large cupboard used to contain many manuscripts. The roof of the building (on four levels) is of Burmese inspiration.

Originally, the sim (or central shrine) and the cloister contained more than nine thousand statues of Buddha evoking the miracle of Sravasti. During the Siamese invasion, most of this wealth was looted and scattered, and if the soldiers did not burn down the monastery, it is said to have been because it resembled the buildings of the new Siamese capital.

Today, more than 2,000 small Buddha statues are arranged in small niches dug into the wall of the vat. In the courtyard you will notice a shelter enclosed by metal bars, where very damaged Buddha statues are piled up, often decapitated: they must have been melted down to make weapons during the Lao-Siamese conflict of 1828.

Inside the sim are tiny crypts dedicated to Buddha. Its wooden coffered ceiling is one of the strangest and if it reminds you of your visit to Versailles, it is not by chance. At the time of Louis XIV, Siam had a large delegation in France, and the French architecture of the 16th and 17th centuries had a definite influence. Note the lotus flower pendants and the stone statue of the Buddha on the altar, dating from the 13th century. Behind the sim is a long wooden naga which is used only to pour lustrous water (watering the Buddhas) over the Buddha statues during the Lao New Year, or Pi May Lao, festival. This vat definitely deserves a thorough visit.