Wat Ong Teu Mahawihan (Temple of the Heavy Buddha) is one of many Buddhist Monasteries that are present in the city of Vientiane in Laos. This name is given to the temple due to the large, bronze Phra Ong Teu Buddha image that is present within the temple: the largest Buddha in Vientiane.
Wat Ong Teu Mahawihan
Wat Ong Teu Mahawihan is surrounded by four temples: Wat Inpeng to the north, Wat Mixay to the south, Wat Haysok to the east, and Wat Chan to the west. It is named after a huge bronze Buddha (ongteu) in the sim (ordination hall). The centerpiece of the temple measures 5.8 meters in height and weighing several tones. It is the reason why it is called “Temple of the Heavy Buddha.” Indochina travel Laos
Sitting on Setthathilah Street, Wat Ong Theu temple impresses travelers with the biggest bronze Buddhist Statue in Vientiane. Inside this temple is Sangha Buddhism School where monks in Laos frequently come to learn about Buddhism.
The biggest bronze Buddhist Statue in Vientiane
Wat Ong Teu was built in the early 16th century by King Setthathirath, but destroyed when the Siamese razed the city in 1827-1828. It was then rebuilt in the 19th and 20th centuries and now holds an important position as the national centre of Buddhist studies. Located on an ancient religious site reputed to date back to the 3rd century, the original Wat Ong Tu functioned as the king’s temple and ceremonies of allegiance to the monarch were held here prior to 1975. Laos travel tours
Murals of Buddha’s Life
The temple is quite colorful, with bright yellow and red accents, and inside sits the temple’s namesake, the largest cast bronze Buddha in the province. The temple’s namesake is a large 16th- century bronze Buddha of several tones that sits in the rear ‘of the sim, flanked by two standing Buddhas. This sim is famous for the wooden facade over the front terrace, a masterpiece of Lao carving. The carved wooden window shutters are also impressive. This sizeable sitting Buddha was the only object from the original Wat Ong Theu to survive the razing, and now sits serenely surrounded by smaller statues and offerings.
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