Places to Go for Traveling Lomographers: Buddha Park

When you arrive in the capital city of Laos, Vientiane, you're greeted by grand, majestically architected historical landmarks. You have several temples to choose from — That Luang, Haw Phra Kaew, That Dam, That Luang Stupa, Mekong Riverside, Patuxai, Wat Si Saket,

Now, once you're done, make sure you head off southeast of the city. Through green meadows, you will find Buddha Park.

Buddha Park, also known as Xieng Khuan, is not exactly a temple for worship. It's a sculpted park in Vientiane, containing several religious images of Buddhism and Hinduism. The park was created by the Luang Pu (Venerable Father) Bunleua Sulilat, a priest and shaman who brought together principles of Buddhism and Hinduism. There are over 200 statues made out of reinforced concrete and some out of bronze inside.

Don't be fooled by the structures though, the park is surprisingly small, so you can get around easily. Our very own Lomographer @marder17 and his wife already visited the park. He told us:

“Our photographic highlight ought to be the “Buddha Park”, a green field with many beautiful Buddha statues. We’ve been a little bit surprised as we discovered the reality, it was smaller and descended than expected. So we made pictures here, another snapshot there and that’s it.”

The sculptures are quite bizarre and are over a hundred years old, many coming from Hindu lore (the ever popular Shiva, Vishnu, and Arjuna, to name a few) and characters in Buddhism that are just worth the snaps, such as Avalokiteśvara. Make sure to capture the Pumpkin Tower, a 6m -high building which is supposed to represent three stories and three levels: Hell, Earth, and Heaven. The other major sculpture should also test out your angling skills, as there's the Reclining Buddha that's 120m long.

What are your summer plans for this season? Leave a comment and share it with us below!

2018-08-07 #buddha-park #places-to-go-for-traveling-lomographers