Wat Si Muang
| Native Name | ວັດສີເມືອງ, វត្តស៊ីមឿង |
|---|---|
| Alternative name | Wat Simuang |
| BA# | L01005 |
| CISARK# | 7625 |
| Size | Small |
| Condition | Ruin |
| Type | Temple, Dharmasala ? |
| Location | |
| District | Chanthabuly |
| Province | Nakhon Luang Vientiane |
| Country | Laos |
| Coordinates | 17.95790, 102.61719 |
| History | |
| Founded | Late 12th Century (?) |
| Builder | Jayavarman VII (?) |
| Material | Laterite |
Wat Si Muang (ວັດສີເມືອງ - Pronounced: Wot See Moo-ang)
Popular, busy and prestigious Buddhist monastery located in the centre of Vientiane city, approximately 1km southeast of Wat Ho Phra Kaew. Although an attractive and visit-worthy wat in its own right the site is archaeologically significant as it houses the only standing structure that can confidently be dated to the Angkor period in the Vientiane area.
A partially intact laterite tower can be seen in the compound with a rectangular-shaped, ruined, chamber on its east side, both of which sit on a laterite platform. Although no decorative elements are in situ the layout and material are strongly reminiscent of a Jayavarman VII, provincial, dharmasala structure. The scant historical evidence for an Angkorian presence in the area is limited to the late 12th-century and the reign of that particular monarch and commissioning a dharmasala, in what could have been a remote, border trading post, is not beyond the realm of possibility.
Several old Buddha images are said to originate in the wat; 2 of which are now in the Ho Phra Kaew Museum and 2 still in situ, and which could be associated with the ancient temple.
Map Location
Image Gallery
The eastern annex is now reduced to a pile of rubble
The structure sits on a laterite platform
The site is a place of active worship
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Historic Archive
A collection of historic photographs, artist sketches, maps etc. (Please ensure that anything you do upload is free of copyright and/or you have permission from the original photographer/artist/author to share)
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