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 Sensoukharam Travel Information
Wat Sensoukharam is one of the major monasteries in Luang Prabang. It is located on Sakkarine Road, the main road that runs parallel to the Mekong and Nam Khan rivers. I explored it while documenting the sights in Luang Prabang for AsiaExplorers. I arrived at Wat Sensoukharam just as the monks were getting ready for their main meal of the day, and saw trays of food being laid out for them.
Wat Sensoukharam was built in 1714 by someone called Tia Tiao during the reign of King Kithasarat (1707-25). The most distinctive feature of this monastery is its maroon walls which are richly ornamented and stencilled in gold. The sim has a four-tier roof. On both sides of it are richly ornamented windows, each with four carved balusters. On both sides of the windows are apsaras or deities standing on mystical beasts.
The interior of the sim is painted maroon and extensively stencilled in gold, covering walls, columns and ceiling. There is a large Buddha statue flanked on its left (our right) by statues of venerated monks. Photographs of venerated monks also hang from the stencilled columns.
Within the compound of Wat Sensoukharam are several other shrines and chapels as well as the monks' living quarters. Close to the main entrance are stupas. Another outstanding structure within the compound is the Chapel of the Standing Buddha. The chapel has columns which are ornately stencilled.
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.
Shrines in the compound of Wat Sensoukharam.
The windows of Wat Sensoukharam have four carved balusters, and flanked on both sides with nymphs mounted on mystical beasts.
The standing Buddha is housed in a richly stencilled chapel.
The Chapel of the Standing Buddha, Wat Sensoukharam.
The large seated Buddha image within the sim of Wat Sensoukharam with statues and photographs of venerated monks.
The practically every inch of the sim of Wat Sensoukharam is stencilled.
Food made ready for the partake of the monks of Wat Sensoukharam.
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).
