Buddha Park in Vientiane

Vientiane Buddha Park

The strange but unique Buddha Park in Vientiane has been one of the most exciting places I have visited in my many years of travelling.

Trust me when I say strange and unique, but after you see the photos of this park, you too will want to visit here one day.

When I travel, I not only want to see commercial places but often love to explore the unique off-the-beaten-path places in any country. And here in Vientiane, this was one of them visited in 2009.

Buddha Park in Vientiane

This quirky but meaningful park was built in 1958 and features various Buddha sculptures, characters of Hindu Lore, Gods, Animals, and even Demons.

Buddha Park is also located along the great Mekong River's shores, outside the main Vientiane city area. Foreigners and locals would visit this wonderful place locally known as Xieng Khuan.

Fortunately for me, we rented a motorcycle to make our exciting trip there. It was one of our best adventures while travelling in Laos.

Riding over 25 kilometres and getting lost was adventurous and exciting for us.

We even met some other foreigners on rented bikes during our journey and were equally lost, so we went in a small convoy for the last few kilometres. Laos is a safe and beautiful place; the people are friendly and helpful.

Laos Buddha Park
Intriguing statues are seen all over this park.

On reaching Buddha Park, after about 30 minutes of motorbike riding and asking for directions, we found bike parking just outside the park.

After parking, there is a ticket counter where you pay 2,000 KIP to enter the park, and once inside, you will be amazed by the statues and sculptures in the park. I spent a good 3 hours just relaxing and enjoying the moment with my partner Lilian.

Strange Pumpkin.

One of the first things you will see in the park is this huge pumpkin structure about three stories high, and you can climb inside it to get to the top of this structure.

I was told by a local that the three stories apparently resemble the three levels in life: Heaven, Hell, and Earth.

Photo of Buddha Park Laos
The strange but interesting entrance to one of the attractions here.

To enter this giant pumpkin, one must go through the structure's mouth, as in the picture above. Once inside, you walk around the pumpkin to find a stone ladder leading to the next level until the top.

Inside the pumpkin.

There is nothing inside except concrete; it just goes to the top, with a small opening for you to climb out to this round pumpkin structure.

Pumpkin antenna.

Once on top of the statue, you will be rewarded with a beautiful view of the entire park with an opportunity to photograph Xieng Khuan. Looking up, a strange Antenna resembles some Buddha motif, but I could be wrong here.

Vientiane Buddha Park Photo
View of Buddha Park.

I spent a good 15 minutes up on the giant pumpkin overlooking the entire park and saw all the strange but beautiful statues and sculptures.

Then I asked myself how and why someone built such a unique and beautiful park and the objective of this park.

An odd-looking fish-like statue at Xieng Khuan.

After an exemplary top view of the entire Xieng Khuan Park, we went down and further explored the statues close up.

Walking around, you will encounter all sorts of strange statues, but there needs to be English information about them. So the lesson here is to engage a local English-speaking guide.

Many statues and sculptures may look ancient, but the park was only built around 1958, so it is less than a century old.

Statue at Buddha Park
One of the more enormous statues with interesting motifs carved into it.

Buddha Park Strange Statues
A massive reclining statue.

You will also see a massive 40-meter reclining or sleeping Buddha statue at Buddha Park. This is one of the main attractions in the park, and as it is so huge, I had to step back just to take a picture of it. Looking around the statue, I noticed an altar for those who wish to pray.

Vientian David Hogan
A photograph moment at the giant statue here.

Photo of Vientiane Buddha Park
A 3-headed elephant statue in the park.

Walking around, I came across more statues of various animals and gods scattered about, some confusing or terrifying.

And if you continue to walk to the end of the park, you will reach a Mekong River section, but the area is sealed off.

You can find a local canteen or cafeteria at the end of the park that sells local food and drink, which is highly popular among visitors here.

I noticed many foreigners having some cold Lao Beer admiring the Mekong River's beauty and surroundings.

Paintings done by Lao artist
Posing with some of the beautiful Lao paintings sold nearby.

After spending two hours here, we head back to Vientiane city on a long bike ride. A souvenir shop also sells books and some beautiful local paintings on the way out.

I recommend buying some as they are really nice and much cheaper than those around Vientiane. A public toilet is available, and I had to use it due to the long journey back.

Lao Desserts
Local Lao desserts are sold by the roadside.

Before departing, I saw a lady selling deep-fried banana fritters, and I just had to try some.

They taste similar to what we can get in Malaysia, where we call it Goreng Pisang. The lady also sold some meat and fish balls on a stick which were quite nice and cheap.

I made multiple stops along the Mekong River along my journey back, as there were many photo opportunities.

Mekong River Laos
View of the Mekong River on my journey back.

Renting A Bike In Vientiane

This is tricky, as anyone can rent a Vientiane bike, but you need to provide a huge cash deposit or your passport as a deposit.

Bike rentals are top-rated, but one has to exercise extreme caution when riding around here, namely if you are a Westerner.

The local police will stop you if you do not wear your helmet or randomly check if you have the rental papers with you.

Riding your motorbike to Buddha Park is bumpy; some roads there are not tarred, and there may be a lot of dust.

So if you ride a bike there, have a scarf to cover your face and always carry your rental papers.

Buddha Park Vientiane Information
  • Buddha Park is open daily, from 8.00 am to 6.00 pm.
  • Entrance Fees are 5,000 KIP + 2,000 KIP for the camera
  • Time Spent Here: About 3 to 4 hours, including the journey.
  • No English information, just basic entrance fees
  • Basic English is spoken by the locals here.
How to go to Buddha Park from Vientiane?

Getting here is fairly simple as you can either self-ride here, take a taxi or book one of the tours in Vientiane City. Below are some of the ways to get to Buddha Park;

  1. Rent a motorbike like I did, as it costs about US$7.00 to US$10.00 per day
  2. Take bus #14 in front of the Morning Market at Vientiane
  3. Take a Tuk-Tuk or Taxi and be prepared to pay for this one.
  4. Tuk-Tuk costs about 700 to 1000 KIP from the city area.

Conclusion

If you are visiting this part of Indochina, remember to also read my other article on the 10 things to do in Luang Prabang, Laos.

I recommend renting a bike to explore the Lao countryside for those who love adventure travel, and you must be careful while riding in Laos.

I also trust you will be happy seeing this absolutely unique and intriguing place called Buddha Park in Vientiane. This is truly one of those places that must be visited by anyone visiting this part of the world.

Malaysia Asia

Blogging since 2007, but writing online since 1997. I belong to the 1st generation of worldwide bloggers, which is of course old-school. Since 2008, I created Malaysia Asia and this travel, flood, gadget and lifestyle blog has won numerous physical awards from tourism boards around Malaysia. (Not those online awards). After 12 years of blogging, I have semi-retired and now blog about things I like, do product reviews and enjoy life. My work has been featured in Lonely Planet, CNN Travel, Yahoo Travel, Wall Street Journal, and many other international publications. Find out more about me and thank you.

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