The LAK6 billion overhaul saw the roofs, ceiling and exterior and interior walls of the former temple restored to their erstwhile glory. The restoration of the temple and its grounds has been split up into four sections. The next three will concentrate on the likes of the chapel floor, paintings, the exhibition chamber and the gardens.
Although not the original structure, Hor Phra Keo dates from the mid 16th century and was originally built as a shrine for the Emerald Buddha Statue. It was also the official chapel for the nation’s royal family. The current structure was restored in the early years of the 19th century and again in the 1930s.
At the end of the Indochina conflict in 1975, the Education Ministry took over the temple. In 1987, Hor Phra Keo was designated a museum and now holds a peerless collection of Buddhist artworks and a tiny souvenir shop.
Hor Phra Keo is near the more famous Sisaket Temple and the Presidential Palace. Vientiane is a popular port of call on Southeast Asian travel odysseys. 12GO ASIA sells bus and flight tickets to Vientiane from locations such as Hanoi and Bangkok.
Landmark Vientiane temple museum gets first stage of facelift
News in Asia
Authorities in Vientiane recently celebrated the completion of a partial restoration of one of its most beloved landmarks. Sihoun Sithileuxay, the Lao capital’s deputy mayor, was on hand for Buddhist themed rituals at Wat Hor Phra Keo to mark the successful conclusion of the revamp.