A Ton of Temples?

Inevitably, over the years the Chinese have had a huge influence on Laos.

The main impact from the west, however, came from the French who controlled the country as part of Indo China from the late 19th century up to World War II and briefly beyond.

Although not quite as obviously “French” as, say, Ho Chi Minh City the tree lined streets, crumbling colonial buildings

and even a replica of the Arc de Triomphe (with oriental modifications)

are all monuments to the country’s colonial past. Incidentally, the Laotian version of the ‘Arc’ was never really finished as a rather nasty civil war got in the way!

French is still spoken in some government departments and also in what is generally known as High Society.

I don’t know if there is a collective word for temples. It’s probably not a ‘ton’ but there really are lots of them in Vientiane. And none of them too shabby either. It seems the poorer the country the more brightly the temples shine.

And not just the temples. This reclining Buddha statue is certainly more photogenic than the one in Bangkok.

And when the Grim Reaper finally catches up with me, I wouldn’t mind having my last remains interred in something as spectacular as these!

Even if you are not religious in any way, you just can’t help being in awe of these buildings. The colours, especially on a bright, sunny day, are awesome, inspiring, uplifting.

and they are everywhere, on every street corner. Even on the way to Boris’ Bakery!

And the interiors of many of them are often just as impressive as the exteriors.

Each of the panels on this ceiling tells a different story. Each has a different message in a room used on a daily basis where ordinary people bring food offerings to both the Gods and monks alike.