Haw Phra Kaew

Haw Phra Kaew was built in the 1560s as the private chapel of the Lao kings, to hold the jade image known as the Emerald Buddha that had been brought from Chiang Mai. The image was taken to Bangkok in 1779 and has stayed there. The building was destroyed in 1828 and rebuilt in the 1930s and 40s, and it now serves as a museum rather than a working temple, holding a collection of Lao bronzes, stone pieces and door panels in a single hall with a terrace running around it.

History

King Setthathirath built the temple in 1565 to 1566, after moving his capital from Luang Prabang to Vientiane, to hold the Emerald Buddha he had brought from Chiang Mai. King Anouvong rebuilt it in 1816 with a new image, Vientiane was razed in 1828, and the French rebuilt the temple between 1936 and 1942 on its surviving structures (Wikipedia, Haw Phra Kaew).

What's there

• The terrace - a colonnaded walk around the building, lined with stone and bronze images.
• The bronzes - Lao Buddha figures inside, including the calling-for-rain posture particular to this tradition.
• The doors - carved panels, some original to the earlier building.
• The garden - a quiet walled compound with a Khmer boundary stone and fragments in the grass.

When to go

November to February is the cool season and the pleasantest for the outdoor terrace, which is much of the visit. Mornings are quiet. The compound closes over the lunch period on some days.

Good to know

The famous image is not here and has not been for two and a half centuries, which surprises people who came for it. The current building is a twentieth-century reconstruction. Photography inside is not permitted and the labelling is limited.

Nearby

Wat Si Saket is across the street, and Pha That Luang is a short drive northeast.

Key facts