The Buddha Park, also known as Xieng Khuan or Spirit City, is a collage of concrete moulded statues of Buddhist and Hindu deities and other bizarre figures, 25k outside of Vientiane, Laos. It’s a large collection of all shapes and sizes, a theme park of religious imagery but one that includes rabbits, insects, skulls and a giant pumpkin along with hundreds of other curiosities.
The main attractions of this park are the reclining Buddha and the giant pumpkin. This giant pumpkin is a 3 storey structure. The entrance to this structure is through a demon mouth. On each floor you have external galleries which consist of internal chambers. Theses internal chambers are filled with various statues. If you climb all the way up, you get a magnificent view of the entire park.
The Buddha Park as Xieng Khuan, which means 'Spirit City'. Forget the typical Buddha images seen in temples across Southeast Asia; the Buddha Park near Vientiane contains over 200 sometimes-menacing statues portraying Buddhist and Hindu lore.A 390-foot-long reclining Buddha is the crown jewel of the collection. The religious-themed statues are spread over a peaceful lawn and certainly capture the main attractions of all visitors.A three-story dome allows visitors to enter through the gaping mouth of a demon and then climb staircases through the dark, dusty structure from 'Hell' to 'Earth' and eventually emerging at 'Heaven' on top of the dome for a spectacular view of the park.
Buddha Park was built in the year 1958 by Bunleua Sulilat, a spiritual leader in turn sculptor who emigrated to Thailand during the Communist occupation. In Thailand, he created a park similar to the Buddha of Vientiane, Sala Kaew Ku Park Park.The Buddha Park is full of bizarre sculptures and constructions, all of them made in reinforced concrete. Some of these sculptures were built thanks to the donation of a benefactor, whose name was engraved on a plaque at the base of the work. Buddha Park not only there are sculptures of Buddha, but there are also anthropomorphic sculptures, animals, gods and demons.
According to the folklore, this park consists of a Savan, located at one end of the park, where the spirits of noble people are present. These spirits are considered to bring harmony to all. There are various statues of Buddha; Avalokiteshvara a bodhisattva who embodies the compassion of all Buddhas and is portrayed in different cultures as either male or female. There are numerous sculptures of Buddha, and Hindu Gods and mythological figures including Shiva, Vishnu and Arjuna.
The best way to get to the Buddha Park is by local bus. Take bus number 14 at the Vientiane Central Bus Station just opposite the Morning Market. The buses leave every 15 minutes from 6:00 am until 3:45 pm and the last bus from the Buddha Park back to the city center is at 4:45 pm. The cost is 6,000 kip and takes about 45 minutes. Another means to visit the Park is to hire a Tuk Tuk. A two way trip that lasts half a day costs under 200,000 kip ($25 USD).
The main attractions of this park are the reclining Buddha and the giant pumpkin. This giant pumpkin is a 3 storey structure. The entrance to this structure is through a demon mouth. On each floor you have external galleries which consist of internal chambers. Theses internal chambers are filled with various statues. If you climb all the way up, you get a magnificent view of the entire park.
The Buddha Park as Xieng Khuan, which means 'Spirit City'. Forget the typical Buddha images seen in temples across Southeast Asia; the Buddha Park near Vientiane contains over 200 sometimes-menacing statues portraying Buddhist and Hindu lore.A 390-foot-long reclining Buddha is the crown jewel of the collection. The religious-themed statues are spread over a peaceful lawn and certainly capture the main attractions of all visitors.A three-story dome allows visitors to enter through the gaping mouth of a demon and then climb staircases through the dark, dusty structure from 'Hell' to 'Earth' and eventually emerging at 'Heaven' on top of the dome for a spectacular view of the park.
Buddha Park was built in the year 1958 by Bunleua Sulilat, a spiritual leader in turn sculptor who emigrated to Thailand during the Communist occupation. In Thailand, he created a park similar to the Buddha of Vientiane, Sala Kaew Ku Park Park.The Buddha Park is full of bizarre sculptures and constructions, all of them made in reinforced concrete. Some of these sculptures were built thanks to the donation of a benefactor, whose name was engraved on a plaque at the base of the work. Buddha Park not only there are sculptures of Buddha, but there are also anthropomorphic sculptures, animals, gods and demons.
According to the folklore, this park consists of a Savan, located at one end of the park, where the spirits of noble people are present. These spirits are considered to bring harmony to all. There are various statues of Buddha; Avalokiteshvara a bodhisattva who embodies the compassion of all Buddhas and is portrayed in different cultures as either male or female. There are numerous sculptures of Buddha, and Hindu Gods and mythological figures including Shiva, Vishnu and Arjuna.
The best way to get to the Buddha Park is by local bus. Take bus number 14 at the Vientiane Central Bus Station just opposite the Morning Market. The buses leave every 15 minutes from 6:00 am until 3:45 pm and the last bus from the Buddha Park back to the city center is at 4:45 pm. The cost is 6,000 kip and takes about 45 minutes. Another means to visit the Park is to hire a Tuk Tuk. A two way trip that lasts half a day costs under 200,000 kip ($25 USD).
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