Xieng Khuan Buddha Park

Located on the banks of the Mekong River, about 25km from the capital Vientiane, Laos, Xieng Khuan Buddha Park is a destination unlike any other. There, amidst the blue sky and rustling palm trees, hundreds of strange statues, half mythical, half spiritual, seem to appear from a surreal dream.

Buddha statue garden seen from above.

Giant reclining Buddha statue.

The garden was built in 1958 by Luang Pu Bunleua Sulilat, a monk and sculptor of unusual skill. Trained by an Indian guru in a cave in Thailand, he embraced both Buddhist and Hindu spirituality, creating a unique space where each statue is a blend of doctrine and imagination.

The entrance to the tower is the devil's mouth.

A tourist rests after climbing to the top of the tower.

Sculpture Garden - seen from... the devil's eye.

The garden has more than 200 cement statues, from a giant 40m long reclining Buddha statue, an elephant-headed Ganesha statue, to half-human, half-animal creatures, and mysterious and metaphysical figures. A strange highlight is a giant open-mouthed demon statue - where visitors can crawl into and climb to the top of a sphere symbolizing the three realms: hell, earth and heaven. From above, the whole garden appears like an ancient mythical world forgotten by time.

The scene is full of ghost stories.

Unlike the usual solemnity of religious buildings, Buddha Park makes visitors both admire and shudder. Each work is like a slice of life - full of suffering, hope, superstition, and faith. The arrangement of the statues is not in a clear order, nor is it constrained by any pattern. That is also the mark of its creator - a dreamer walking between the border of reality and illusion.

The statues are not in any pattern, reminiscent of Buddhism and Hinduism. All give the viewer a strange, somewhat creepy feeling.

As one of the national cultural heritages and one of the five famous tourist attractions, Buddha Park is a must-see destination when visiting Vientiane. Visitors can hire a tuk-tuk, motorbike taxi, or take bus number 14 from the city center (departing from the station near Talat Sao market, the fare is about 8,000 kip - less than 1 USD). The trip takes about 45 minutes.

The park is open from 8am to 5pm daily. The entrance fee is 15,000 kip (about 20,000-25,000 VND), plus 5,000 kip if visitors want to bring a camera.

There is also a souvenir shop, drinks and some local snacks.

Not too crowded, quiet space, unique landscape makes this place ideal for artistic or fantasy style photos.

A cluster of multifaceted Buddha statues.

The ideal time to visit is early morning or late afternoon, when the sun is not too harsh and the light creates mysterious shadows on each moss-covered stone statue. The dry season (from November to March) is when the weather is most pleasant, convenient for traveling and taking outdoor photos.

Nowadays, the statues have been stained by time, adding to the ancient and mysterious look of the whole statue garden. For those who seek novelty in their journey to explore Southeast Asia - not only to see but also to contemplate, the Xieng Khuan Buddha Garden is an option not to be missed.

(According to Women's Newspaper)

Source: http://baovinhphuc.com.vn/Multimedia/Images/Id/126627/Vuon-tuong-Phat-Xieng-Khuan