Today we took a field trip to That Luang, Patuxai, and Wat Sisaket organized by the embassy. I learned a lot about Buddhism and nagas today. I’ve been in Laos for a whole week as of today!

The Naga, the Hyperpresent Snake Divinity in Laos

A naga is a divine mythical snake that lives underwater and has magical powers. There are many naga kingdoms. Each Southeastern Asian country has one naga kingdom that protects its territory and waterways. Even though Laos and Thailand are both on either side of the Mekong, both have separate naga kingdoms that protect their lands. (Our guide Khong told me the names of the Lao and Thai nagas, but they were difficult to pronounce, and I unfortunately forgot their names.)

A normal naga has one head, but the more powerful ones can have 3, 5, or 9 heads. 9 heads is the most number of naga heads you can have in Laos. Our guide Khong told us that he once saw a naga statue with 15 heads in Thailand.

Courtesy of Royal Thai Art

This is a standard naga with one head.

Lao people have been worshipping serpent spirits in one form or another for over 2,000 years. Nagas appear frequently in Buddhist and Animist imagery.

Nagas in Buddhism

Nagas appear in Buddhist imagery because the story is that the naga loved Buddha so much that he wanted to become a monk. However, Buddha could not let him become a monk since he was not a man. Even though the naga could not become a monk, Buddha honored him for his devotion and said the naga could protect him whenever needed. As a result, Buddha is often depicted meditating with a naga with nine heads watching over him.

Courtesy of Guerra, C. (2023)

This is a Buddha statue I saw at Wat That Luang Tai today. Notice that he sits in front of a big nine-headed naga!

Because of the naga’s devotion, the phrase “to become a monk” is “to become a naga (nahk)” in Lao. The incoming monk swears that he will never lie, kill, steal, or commit adultery again during his initiation ceremony. Finally, the person performing the ceremony asks him if he is human. (This was one of Buddha’s requirements for becoming a monk.) The incoming monk says yes and then he is doused with water and officially sworn in.

Read more about the life of the Buddha

Learn more about Buddhism with this introductory article

Nagas Near Me

Nagas appear as common motifs in Buddhist art as a symbol of protection. Since nagas are such a positive symbol associated with Buddhism, they appear throughout southeastern Asian art frequently. Here are some nagas I saw today throughout our field trip. Time for a naga photo dump!

Courtesy of Guerra, C. (2023)

A seven-headed naga I saw next to an altar by That Luang today (one of a matching set on either side of the altar)

Courtesy of Guerra, C. (2023)

A three-headed naga that serves as a handrail at one of That Luang’s temples (there are many temple buildings in the complex)

Courtesy of Guerra, C. (2023)

This is a one-headed naga I saw at Wat Phra Kaew today. Notice that the naga has small clawed feet. If you look closely you can see that he is holding a peach-colored fish in his claws. Nagas are serpents, so they never have feet. This naga is special because he is part dragon. Our tour guide Khong said that the Lao artists made this piece when the French renovated Haw Phra Kaew. The artists conveyed that the Lao people were under French colonial rule by portraying the naga as an oppressor instead of a protector (e.g., the dragon-like claws and scales).

Laos is currently advocating for the naga to receive a special Intangible Cultural Heritage status through UNESCO, which makes sense since it is an important and hyperpresent symbol throughout Buddhist art in Laos.

Read more about trying to get UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage status for the naga

That Luang

On to talking about the field trip itself! I thought the naga information would be a good preface to what I did today. Now you can spot the nagas throughout my pictures!

We went to That Luang first thing today. That Luang is a stupa that holds one of the breastbones of the Buddha. Originally there was a small stupa built to hold Buddha’s breastbone in the 3rd century BC. In the mid-16th century, King Setthathirat moved his capital from Luang Prabang to Vientiane after Myanmar (Burma) tried to attack. He ordered the constrution of That Luang in 1566. That Luang was destroyed by the Thai invasions in 1779 and 1827, renovated by the French in the 1930s, damaged during the Franco-Thai War in 1941, and finally reconstructed after World War II. Today it is a symbol of Lao nationalism and pride and appears frequently on official seals and documents (e.g., my visa has a seal with That Luang on it).

Read more about That Luang

Courtesy of Guerra, C. (2023)

A view of the big stupa and surrounding smaller stupas at That Luang

Courtesy of Guerra, C. (2023)

Spot the nagas at That Luang

Courtesy of Guerra, C. (2023)

When monks have to clean images of the Buddha, they are not allowed to touch the statues. To clean the statues, they use this long instrument and pour water in one side and let it flow out the other end at an angle, splashing the statues. (Also, spot the nagas.)

Patuxai, Again

We visited Patuxai (pronounced “Pa-too-sai”) again today. (Xs in Lao are pronounced as Ss. I really wanted to pronounce this “x” as an “sh” sound initially because that’s how it’s done in Mandarin!)

I learned that the bottom part of the arch is meant to resemble the Arc de Triomphe in Paris and the top is supposed to look like the top of the Taj Mahal! The figures depicted on the ceiling of Patuxai are Hindu gods. (All I know is that Vishnu is the figure seated on top of the three-headed elephant.)

Laos is currently working to renovate and make things look really nice since the ASEAN (Association of Southeastern Asian Nations) summit will be hosted in Vientiane next October. ASEAN is a political and economic union of 10 member states in Southeast Asia that wants to accelerate economic growth, social progress, and development in the region and promote regional peace and stability through building positive relationships between nations and adherence to the United Nations Charter.

Read more about ASEAN

Courtesy of Guerra, C. (2023)

Courtesy of Guerra, C. (2023)

Check out my post from last week when I visited Patuxai

Wat Sisaket

Wat Sisaket was built in 1818 during the reign of King Chao Anouvong, and was destroyed by Siamese forces after his failed rebellion against the Thai king. In 1935 Laos restored what was left of the building to its present state.

Check out my post from earlier this week about King Chao Anouvong

Courtesy of Guerra, C. (2023)

Wat Sisaket and surrounding gardens

At Wat Sisaket, we saw a Buddhist cloister. They had images of Buddha meditating surrounding the complex. There were also small alcoves with tiny Buddha statues in all the walls. (There were over 8,000 Buddhas in the small alcoves throughout the complex!)

Courtesy of Guerra, C. (2023)

Some of the Buddhas like the one on the right were damaged when Siam destroyed Vientiane in 1779. (The Siamese armies burned most of Vientiane to the ground.)

There was a large gong outside the inner temple. If you desire, you can touch it and if it makes a noise then that means that you will be successful and have a long life. If not…well, there’s always next time. (Just kidding! You can visit any temple and try again whenever you want.) We all rubbed the large gong and had success!

Courtesy of Guerra, C. (2023)

This is my friend Hannah successfully making noise on the gong.

Haw Phra Kaew

The last monument we visited today was Haw Phra Kaew. It used to hold the Emerald Buddha when he lived in Laos. This building was destroyed when the Siamese armies burned Vientiane to the ground in 1779. (The Emerald Buddha was also taken from Haw Phra Kaew that year.) Many Lao people fled from Vientiane to Thailand after the destruction of Vientiane. This mass exodus is still reflected in the numbers of today. 30 million Lao people live in Thailand and 7 million Lao people live in Laos today.

Read more about the Emerald Buddha

Read more about the Lao-Siamese War

Courtesy of Guerra, C. (2023)

The elephant with three heads represents the three former kingdoms of Laos: Vientiane, Luang Prabang, and Champasak. The figure on top is Vishnu. (Also, spot the nagas.)

Courtesy of Guerra, C. (2023)

This is the inside of one of the buildings of the temple complex. (Don’t worry! I was allowed to take photos anywhere inside this building.)

As Promised

I saw another beautiful spirit house today and thought I’d share. (Also, spot the nagas.)

Courtesy of Guerra, C. (2023)