Oh My Buddha!

A giant reclining Buddha figure at Buddha Park, outside Vientiane

Buddha Park, or known by its official name, Xieng Khuan, lies 25kms from the Laos capital Vientiane, on the banks of the Mekong River, hence why I saw a photo the other day of the park under water and a guide taking people around by boat! When I visited it recently, it was bone dry and a great place to take kids. A school party arrived as we were leaving and you could see the delight in the children's faces when they saw some of the weird and wonderful concrete statues on display. Its a mix of Buddhist and Hindu gods with lots of other stuff thrown in for good measure. A tv crew were also there as I toured the park and its so eccentric that it gets a lot of attention from all quarters. The brainchild of Bunleua Sulilat, it was built in 1958 and some statues are wearing better than others. There's a great view over the park from the upper level of the giant pumpkin-shaped monument at one end. I'm told there's another similar park, built by the same priest just over the river in Thailand's Nong Khai.

A panoramic view of Buddha park

The pumpkin-shaped monument offers great views over the park

I thought this face was very life-like, expecting it to move for a Candid Camera moment!

He ain't going to miss his shot from that range

I assume this is Indra on his 3-headed elephant Airavata

This reminded me of the fierce kala's you see on numerous lintels throughout Khmer iconography

The park was a haven for children playing amongst the monuments