Your base for this tourist attraction is the Unesco World Heritage town of Luang Prabang, Laos. For tourist information about Luang Prabang, go to Luang Prabang Travel Guide. To prepare for a trip to Laos, read also the Laos Travel Guide. Looking for budget accommodation there? Use AsiaExplorers Budget Accommodation Guide, the no-frills website to cover your budget accommodation needs.
Wat Choum Khong Travel Info
Wat Choum Khong is a small Laotian monastery on Sotika Kuman Road, one of the roads the run parallel to the Mekong and Nam Khan rivers in Luang Prabang. I visited it when I was Luang Prabang to document its sights for AsiaExplorers.
Wat Choum Khong was started in 1843, during the reign of King Sukaseum. It adheres to the classic style. The name Choum Khong refers to a statue of the Buddha which was cast from a bronze gong. When I visited Wat Choum Khong, I saw the monks and novices busy doing restoration work around the compound. Apparently Wat Choum Khong had undergone three earlier restorations, in 1933, 1951 and 1963.
A unique feature I came across at Wat Choum Khong were two Chinese entrance guardians (often called door gods) at the entrance of one of the buildings. These Chinese guardian statues are often found in Thai temples in Bangkok - I remember seeing them at Wat Po as well as Wat Arun.
If you're going to Luang Prabang, you'd be glad to know that the town is quite small. You can go to most places on foot if you want to. Otherwise, you can also catch a tuk tuk to take you around. As for accommodation, they range from very simple, basic beds to boutique hotels. You can visit the Luang Prabang Hotels guide for a list of budget accommodation.
Another building at Wat Choum Khong has intricate carving on the gable and door.
Chinese door gods flank the entranceway to what I believe is the monks' quarters.
The monks life is not always an easy one. Here, they are laying new floor tiles for their wat.
5 Days 4 Nights Romantic Luang Prabang Tour
Explore Luang Prabang, Pak Ou, Kuang Si Waterfalls on this 5 day 4 nights tour, provided by Exotissimo Travel in conjunction with AsiaExplorers. Details here. (This tour is conducted only until September 2012).
