The columns within the sim of Wat That Luang are lacquered black and stencilled silver.
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 That Luang Travel Information
Wat That Luang is one of the more important monasteries in Luang Prabang, Laos. This is due to its long association with Luang Prabang royalty. This is indicated by the dok so faa ornamentation on the roof of the main sim. It consists of 15 metal parasols denoting the royal status of the temple. Indeed one of Luang Prabang's most imminent monarchs, King Sisavangvong, was buried here. The stupa containing the king's remains is located in front of the main congregational hall, or sim.
Wat That Luang was one of the last stops for me for the day, when I was Luang Prabang and documenting its heritage sites for AsiaExplorers. I learned that Wat That Luang was built by King Manthatourat (1817-36). It sits on a hillock with the driveway leading from the entrance archway sloping uphill. The sim of Wat That Luang is said to have been built using lumber taken from a banyan tree (or bodhi tree) that once stood at Wat Keo (now known as Wat Phra Bat Tai).
There are two main stupas at Wat That Luang, one on the front of the sim while the other at the rear. As mentioned earlier, the one in front is said to house the remains of King Sisavangvong. The one behind is said to house relics of the Buddha. Smaller stupas containing the ashes of other members of royalty and noblemen as also found around the temple compound.
Many funerary rites for royalties were conducted here. The one for King Oum Kham in 1896 was "state-of-the-art" in its time. Traditionally, the funerary pyre of royals are lit with fire taken from the capital city. In 1896, as Luang Prabang was under French rule, the capital city was Paris. The generator at Wat That Luang received the spark to lit the pyre from the telegraph wires from Paris.
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.
View of the sim of Wat That Luang from the rear stupa.
Side view of the sim showing its dok so faa decoration on the roof.
The stupa at the front of the sim, said to house the remains of King Sisavangvong.
The stupa at the rear of the sim, said to house relics of the Buddha.
The principal Buddha image within the sim of Wat That Luang.
The archway into Wat That Luang.
How to go to Wat That Luang
Wat That Luang is located along New Mano Road. It can be seen in most maps of Luang Prabang. If you are staying along the Luang Prabang peninsula, it may be a distance to walk, so I would advise that you get a tuk tuk to take you there.
Hotel Room Price Checker
Before booking a hotel room, make sure you are getting the lowest price for it. Different hotel booking websites offers the same room at different prices. If you stick with one site all the time, you could be paying more for the same room. Now why pay more?
The form below is a Research Engine. It doesn't take bookings. Instead it lets you find the hotel booking website that offers the room you want at the lowest price. You can see and compare what different sites are offering, and then click to choose the one with the best price. Do this, and you're guaranteed to save a whole lot of money on your room reservations!
If you're flying somewhere, use our Flight Checker to compare the rates from different airlines. To use it, enter where you will be flying from, where you will be flying to, your departure date and return date. Select the number of passengers, and then click search.
Our engine will return you a list of possible flights that you can take. You can compare the fare of different airlines for your trip. Click on your selected airline, and we transfer you to the airline website.
AsiaExplorers is researched and written by Timothy Tye. Reasonable care is taken to check and verify the accuracy of the content. AsiaExplorers disclaims responsibility for any inconvenience, mishap, injury or death resulting from following the tips and advice provided directly or indirectly by this website. All pages may be printed out for your own personal, non-commercial use. You may use the information on this website on your blog or website so long as you place a dofollow link back to the page in AsiaExplorers where it appears. Photographs not credited to a third party belong to Timothy Tye and may not be reused in any form unless you are first given permission. Write in to inquire if interested. Third party photographs are governed by their respective licenses. To contact Tim, write to the following email address:
