Xieng Khuan Buddha Park

Buddha Park is an open-air sculpture park located about 25 kilometres (15 miles) outside of Vientiane on the river Mekong. It’s known by locals as Xieng Khuan which means Spirit City, and it’s the quirky setting of over 200 sculptures of various shapes and sizes depicting figures from Buddhist and Hindu traditions and lore.

Visitors are free to wander between the statues among the tranquil greenery of the banks of the Mekong, take photographs, and in some cases climb the structures. Although the statues and sculptures seem ancient and appear to be carved from stone, in reality, this park is relatively new. It was founded in 1958, and the sculptures themselves are mostly cast in reinforced concrete.

Xieng Khuan is totally unlike anywhere else because of its twin devotion to both Buddhism and Hinduism. It’s not officially a temple, despite often being called Wat Xieng Khuan (wat meaning temple), but locals that often worship here see it as a holy place. That being said, it’s almost more akin to an art installation than a religious place.