Wat Manorom
Home to a very old Buddha image
Published/Last edited or updated: 27th November, 2018
More on Luang Prabang
Located just outside the peninsula, Wat Manorom (Wat Mano) was built to inter the ashes of King Samsenthai (1373-1416). It is possibly one of the oldest sites in the city, dating from the 14th century.
Travelfish says:
Wat Manorom is best known for housing one of Laos’ oldest Buddha images. The statue, originally six-metres high and weighing 12 tons, was cast in the Siamese Sukhothai style during King Samsenthai’s reign. The wat was reconstructed in 1818, then destroyed in 1887 by Chinese marauders the Black Flag Army—the same folks responsible for the destruction of Wat Visounnarath and Wat That Makmo four blocks away.
The statue also suffered damage in the attack and then later, during the conflict between France and Siam; the French are blamed for stealing its arms. In 1971, the wat was rebuilt and the armless statue repaired with cement and gold leaf. Today, Wat Manoram boasts a large main sim (congregational hall) and one of the town’s major schools in the temple system.
Find the wat at the corner of Manomai Road near the Sofitel Luang Prabang and the Provincial Police Department compound.
Contact details for Wat Manorom
Address: Corner of Manomai Road, Luang Prabang
Coordinates (for GPS): 102º8'4.56" E, 19º52'45.84" N
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Reviewed by
Cindy Fan
Cindy Fan is a Canadian writer/photographer and author of So Many Miles, a website that chronicles the love of adventure, food and culture. After falling in love with sticky rice and Mekong sunsets, in 2011 she uprooted her life in Toronto to live la vida Laos. She’s travelled to over 40 countries and harbours a deep affection for Africa and Southeast Asia. In between jaunts around the world, she calls Laos and Vietnam home where you’ll find her traipsing through rice paddies, standing beside broken-down buses and in villages laughing with the locals.
