The Wat Mai Suwannaphumaham or Wat Mai (New Monastery) is one of the biggest and most beautiful temples in Luang Prabang. Its central position (in front of the night market and beside the Royal Palace) makes it one of the most visited temples of this ancient royal town.
This Wat was built by King Anourout at the end of the XVIIIth century and was enlarged in the XIXth century. Its restoration, during the reign of King Manthatourat (1817-1836) gave it it’s final name of "New Monastery ".
This temple is very important for the Laotians of Luang Prabang. After the Chinese had destroyed the (...)

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Wat Aham signifies "The Monastery of the Blossoming Heart". This temple was probably constructed at the beginning of the XIXth century and was surely a place for mediation and meetings between spiritual culture and Buddhist practice. Neighbouring the Wat Vitsoun, it is relatively quiet even though the district has in the last few years, become the centre of Luang Prabang’s night life.
You will notice the 2 stylised stucco tigers guarding the pagoda, and the statues of the temple guardians Ravana and Hanuman (central figures of the Indian Ramayana epic and their Laotian equivalent, the (...)

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Temple sheltering one of the largest pagodas in Luang Prabang, which was recently renovated.
Situated opposite the "Elephant" restaurant, the pagoda is richly decorated with stencils. In a style inspired by that of Vientiane (see the architectural section), the temple has one of the most dazzlingly beautiful coloured roofs, in the Thai style, the same sort as that of Wat Sene.

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This temple was renovated in 2006 after having been partially destroyed by a fire. Situated at the end of the peninsula, not far from Wat Pha Kham, this temple is mainly made up of a large colonial building and a small building sheltering a golden Buddha.

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Temple neighbouring the Wat Sen and whose specificities are a That covered by earthenware, sheltering the representations of Buddha, as well as a large statue of Buddha in the garden. Many young bonzes live here.
The tradition is that boys must withdraw into a monastery in their youth for a period of at least 3 weeks (which is called the Bouat). Normally, its round about the age of 15 that this initiation takes place. But there are also many who come from the surrounding villages, from disadvantaged families, and who spend several years in a temple, up until the end of their schooling, so (...)

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This temple, situated on the point of the peninsula opposite Heritage House, is one of the only temples in town that has not (as yet) been renovated, which gives it a certain fascination, an authenticity that the other temples of the town don’t possess.
Its singular architecture is of North Eastern Laos inspiration (see the article on Religious architecture ), this temple provides many dwelling places for the bonzes.

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Situated behind the Mount Phousi, on the banks of the river Nam Khan, this temple has two features that are worth the trip : a recently renovated ‘that’, as well as a representation of Buddha surrounded by a beautiful Bougainvillaea.

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The temple is in essence a sacred place where everybody must respect the rules. In Laos, pagodas are almost social areas where bonzes, elders, children at play, and pious people mix .
This temple is especially active at mid-day : the young people from the neighbourhood come to play their favourite sport : the Kah Toh, which is a ball game almost like volleyball, but where you only use your feet. The bonzes join in sometimes, but mainly watch with amusement …
This temple has not been renovated. It shelters a pagoda in a worn state, but which is still enchanting. The ceiling is remarkable (...)

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Wat Sene Souk Haram or literally "Temple of a 100 000 treasures" is one of the most beautiful temples in Luang Prabang, singular by its restored painting of a deep ochre colour, flamboyant and glittering with gold. Constructed in 1718 by king Kitsarath with 100 000 stones from the Mekong river, the temple is made up of a vihan, a that, several koutis, a pirogue shelter (where you can see a racing pirogue of extreme beauty), and a drum shelter (see photo).
The Wat Sene is the first monastery in town whose vihan was covered with yellow and red tiles in the modern Thai fashion. You can (...)

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This temple, situated in the centre of town, is very peaceful. You can admire the numerous decorative pieces of work, especially the paintings, stencilling and woodwork, the gilding, as well as the numerous portrayals of Buddha.
Beside these beautiful structures (a discoloured vihan and several koutis, which have a certain charm in this town which has been almost completely renovated …) you can visit the traditional and recently renovated Prince’s house. This was renovated with the help of Heritage House, and has hosted a tourist information centre since 2006. Exhibitions are sometimes (...)

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The Wat Tchoum Khong (which means ’Temple with the heart of a Gong) was founded by Pakhu Keo in 1843, under the reign of King Sukaseum (1836-1851). It is one of the temples with the most flowers in Luang Prabang. Situated in the middle of the peninsula, where you will find all the commercial and tourist activities of the town, it is still a very calm place.
The garden is to be admired with its recent statues of Buddha in numerous traditional postures. The buildings have been recently renovated and the garden landscaped. The bougainvilleas are the most beautiful in town, which is renowned (...)

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A perfectly restored temple sheltering a pagoda, beautifully covered with frescos representing teachings of the Great Buddha.
This temple is situated in a popular district, where you can also find the famous morning market.

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This temple was called on to honour a ceremony which took place in 1548 and was presided by King Setthathirat. It was constructed at the beginning of the XVIIIth century. Carrying the same name as the Ban (synonym of village or district), the Wat Ho Xiang accommodated about 30 bonzes, in 2008, of which 4 are very respected and also one "female bonze" (a woman having assumed a white costume and a shaven head, and whose role is mainly to serve the bonzes for certain household jobs; there are not many of them in the pagodas of the centre of Luang Prabang; they mainly stay in the Phon Phao (...)

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This temple (whose name means "the Stupa temple".) and its garden, are surely the most beautiful in Luang Prabang. It is the centre for numerous festivities in honour of Buddha, where the villagers of Ban Wat That meet frequently along with the villagers of Ban Ho Xieng (whose temple is near the Wat That). It is one of the most sacred temples in Luang Prabang, where venerable monks from numerous temples meet during Pimay (New Year in Laos).
The pagoda
So called in memory of the Lanna style temple in North Thailand, it was constructed in 1548 by King Say Setthathirath, and was almost (...)

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The Wat Xieng Thong, "monastery of the golden city", is the religious emblem of Luang Prabang and one of the highest symbols of Buddhism in Laos which was the reason why it was spared from the plunder of 1887.
Constructed in 1560 by king Setthathirat, it was considered as the architectural reference of Luang Prabang with a very pointed vihan which comes down very low (more information on this subject in the article on religious architecture.)
As a symbol of the town, the pagoda’s name can be written in many ways :
Wat Xieng Thong
Wat Xiang Thong
Wat Sieng Thong (...)

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