My favorite landmarks in Laos

Wat Xieng Thong

There are so many beautiful temples in Thailand and Laos, it would be pointless to visit them all. After a while, they all begin to look more or less the same. They all have lots of gold paint, Buddha statues, and marigold offerings. Yes, I finally figured out why they cultivate marigolds around here. They use the orange blossoms to adorn the temples.

Luang Namtha stupa

Every once in a while, a temple or landmark intrigues me so that I take a closer look. The stupa in Luang Namtha, for example. I was told that this is a new stupa, rebuilt where the old one was destroyed by an American bomber in 1966. What I found interesting is that they left the remains of the old stupa and built the new one next to the old one, perhaps leaving the old one as a reminder.

Detail on Wat Xieng Thong

In Luang Prabang, I was drawn to the Wat Xieng Thong, because it’s different from the usual golden temples. This one is covered in emerald colored glass instead of the usual gold. The outside walls are detailed mosaics in tiny pieces of colored glass, depicting everyday life. Beautiful.

Arc de Triomphe of Vientiane

And in Vientiane, the capital city of Laos, where the French influence can’t be missed, with the baguettes and croissants, wine shops, restaurants serving salade Niçoise, and so on, the most prominent landmark has to be the Lao version of the Arc de Triomphe. They say that it’s just a heap of ugly concrete, but looking from afar, it’s surrounded by a well-manicured garden and I like it.