Wat Wisunarat (Wat Visoun)
ວັດວິຊຸນນະລາດ
The oldest temple in Luang Prabang, dating to 1513. Its round 'Watermelon Stupa' in the courtyard is a stupa form found nowhere else in the city.
Wat Wisunarat (also called Wat Visoun) was built in 1512 to 1513 by King Visunarat. It is the oldest surviving temple in Luang Prabang and for a long time housed the Phra Bang Buddha image. It was burned by the Black Flag Army in 1887 and rebuilt in 1898, so its main hall is a brick and wood hybrid, unlike other temples in style. In the courtyard, That Pathum, a reliquary stupa built in 1503, is nicknamed the 'Watermelon Stupa' (That Makmo) for its round shape. It is the only round stupa in Laos in the Sri Lankan style. Inside the hall is a small museum of religious art, with 15th- and 16th-century wooden Buddha images and rain-calling Buddha figures. Admission is 20,000 kip (about 7 yuan), and the temple is open 8:00 to 17:00. The neighboring Wat Aham is free and can be seen at the same time. The temple lies at the foot of the south side of Mount Phou Si, about a 10-minute walk from the night market. It receives few visitors, so an afternoon visit, outside the busiest hours, is ideal. Nearby, there are several Lao restaurants, such as those along the Nam Khan riverbank near Tamarind.
Opening hours
08:00–17:00
Nearby sights
- Wat Aham
- Royal Palace Museum (Haw Kham)
- Traditional Arts and Ethnology Centre
- Luang Prabang Night Market
- Mount Phousi
- Wat Pa Huak
- Wat Mai Suwannaphumaham
- UXO Lao Visitor Centre