Wat Si Saket

Wat Si Saket is a Buddhist temple in the Laotian capital of Vientiane. It is located on Lan Xang Road, near the intersection with Setthathirat Road, northwest of Haw Phra Kaew, which once housed the Emerald Buddha.

King Anouvong (Sethathirath V.) ordered the construction of Wat Si Saket in 1818. Si is derived from the Sanskrit adoration title Sri, which was added to the name of Bangkok's Wat Saket, which was renamed by Anouvong's contemporary, King Rama I. Rather than the Lao style, Wat Si Saket was built in the Siamese style of Buddhist architecture, with a surrounding terrace and an elegant five-tiered roof. This may have kept it safe, as the Siamese soldiers that devastated Vientiane in the aftermath of Anouvong's uprising in 1827 used the compound as their headquarters and housing. It may be Vientiane's oldest temple still standing. Wat Si Saket was repaired by the French colonial authority in 1924 and again in 1930.

Wat Si Saket has a cloister wall adorned with over 2,000 ceramic and silver Buddha figures. There is also a museum in the temple.

Address: Lane Xang Avenue, Vientiane, Laos