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during the reign <strong>of</strong> Sam Saen Thai. It is in the Sukhothai style rather than Lao or Khmer.<br />
<strong>The</strong> sitting statue weighs over 2 tons and is 6m high. <strong>The</strong> image is in the “victory over<br />
Mara” pose with one hand touching the earth. It is the oldest large Buddhist statue in<br />
Luang Prabang and for much <strong>of</strong> its history it sat outside the sim. It was heavily damaged<br />
during the rampages <strong>of</strong> the Haw in 1887 and also during the Franco-Thai war in the late<br />
19th century, when its arms were destroyed. This piece <strong>of</strong> wanton theft and destruction was<br />
most likely perpetrated by the French although they reaped their karmic reward as their<br />
boat sank in the Mekong. <strong>The</strong>y forgot a part <strong>of</strong> the Buddha’s forearm and that can now be<br />
seen at the base <strong>of</strong> the statue in the sim. When the sim was rebuilt in 1972, the statue was<br />
enclosed in the sim and the arms were reconstructed from cement. <strong>The</strong> wat has the largest<br />
number <strong>of</strong> monks and novices <strong>of</strong> any monastery in Luang Prabang and there is also a primary<br />
school. A new wall encircling the grounds <strong>of</strong> the wat was completed in 1995.<br />
Wat Pa Huak Wat Pa Huak or the “Monastery <strong>of</strong> the Thornless<br />
Bamboo Forest” was founded in 1861 by Phaya Si Mahanam during the reign <strong>of</strong> King<br />
Chantharath (1850–72) and was named after the bamboo forest that used to be on the<br />
site. It is situated to the northeast <strong>of</strong> Mount Phousi and opposite the Palace Museum.<br />
<strong>The</strong> rather dainty sim is in the Vientiane style. <strong>The</strong> exterior is <strong>of</strong> the temple is in dire<br />
need <strong>of</strong> repair. <strong>The</strong>re is a delightful and elaborate carved wooden facade formerly covered<br />
in mosaics, although little remains. In the center <strong>of</strong> the facade there is a depiction <strong>of</strong><br />
Indra riding Airavata, the three-headed elephant <strong>of</strong> Hindu mythology. <strong>The</strong> weathered<br />
doors still show traces <strong>of</strong> what they once were.<br />
<strong>The</strong> most interesting features <strong>of</strong> Pa Huak are the quirky 19th-century murals decorating<br />
the interior walls. <strong>The</strong>y provide fascinating insights into ordinary life at the time rather<br />
than the usual religious themes that one normally finds. Most interesting is the depiction<br />
<strong>of</strong> the story <strong>of</strong> the Buddha’s humiliation or the taming <strong>of</strong> the haughty King Jambupati, by<br />
showing himself as the Buddha King <strong>of</strong> the world rather than a lowly monk. <strong>The</strong>re are<br />
also portrayals <strong>of</strong> Luang Prabang receiving Chinese, European, and Persian visitors with<br />
elephants, horses, and tigers. It’s all very lively. If you are a fan <strong>of</strong> history as told through<br />
murals (such as in Wat Phumin in Nan and Wat Phra Singh in Chiang Mai, Thailand),<br />
then Wat Pa Huak is a treat.<br />
Sisavangvong.<br />
Wat That Luang Wat That Luang Rasamahavihane is known as the “Monastery <strong>of</strong><br />
the Royal Stupa.” It has long been associated with Lao royalty <strong>of</strong> Luang Prabang. Legend<br />
suggests that an early monastery on the site originated from a visit by Buddhist missionaries<br />
sent by Asoka, the 3rd-century-b.c. Buddhist evangelical Indian king. <strong>The</strong> legend is<br />
unsupported by any real evidence however. Relics from the early 12th century have been<br />
discovered, though they may have come from a site in northern Thailand.<br />
<strong>The</strong> present sim was constructed on a small hill south <strong>of</strong> the city in 1818 during the<br />
reign <strong>of</strong> King Manthaturat (1817–36). It may have been built partly from the branches<br />
<strong>of</strong> a bodhi tree located near Wat Keo Fa. <strong>The</strong> sim is built in Lao style with gables on both<br />
the northeast and southwest sides. <strong>The</strong>re are no porches or verandas, nor are there the<br />
sweeping ro<strong>of</strong>lines that you find on so many wats in Luang Prabang. <strong>The</strong> large bronzeand-gilded<br />
Buddha inside the sim was transferred from the now-defunct Wat Aham<br />
Mungkhun, located a short distance from That Luang. It weighs about 1,100 pounds.<br />
That Luang has long been one <strong>of</strong> the important ritual sites for Buddhist, traditional,<br />
and royal events; the Festival <strong>of</strong> the 12th month, or Tat, in particular. In the past it was<br />
presided over by the king. <strong>The</strong>re are two large stupas on the grounds. <strong>The</strong> golden funerary<br />
stupa in front <strong>of</strong> the sim contains the ashes <strong>of</strong> the king, Sisivang Vong (1904–59). It<br />
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LUANG PRABANG & NORTHERN LAOS 13<br />
LUANG PRABANG