Laos: A Buddhist monk in prayer at Wat Si Saket in Vientiane, redrawn from an 1867 sketch by French expeditioner Louis Delaporte.

Wat Si Saket was built in 1818 on the orders of King Anouvong and is thought to be the oldest temple still standing in Vientiane. It was built in the Siamese style of Buddhist architecture, with a surrounding terrace and an ornate five-tiered roof, rather than in the Lao style, which kept it safe from the armies of Siam that sacked Vientiane in 1827. The French restored the temple in 1924 and again in 1930. Situated on Lan Xang Road, Wat Si Saket today features a cloister wall with more than 2,000 ceramic and silver Buddha images. The temple also houses a museum.

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Pictures From History