Entering Buddha Park is almost as confusing as entering the mind of an ultra-creative person.
It is hard to comprehend and is subjective to each. At the same time, it is wonderful how creativity has no limitations. The Buddha Park, also known as Xieng Khuan is built by Bunleua Sulilat in 1958 from his Hinduism and Buddhism perspective reflecting the early days of the art scene in Vientiane.
Buddha Park may seem a little far from the city centre but it is totally worth going the distance. Unlike the statues displayed inside, there is nothing religious about this place. One of the best things to do in Vientiane for sure.
Overview
- How to get to Buddha Park?
- Entrance fees and opening hours
- What to expect in Buddha Park?
- A walk-through of main sculptures
- Combine it with a day trip to Nong Khai, Thailand
How to get to Buddha Park?
By Public Bus
A direct bus is available at Talat Sao bus terminal, which is located right behind the Talat Sao shopping mall.
Walk past all these long-distance buses and then you will see a separate bus station on the right. That’s where the bus #14 is located and the frequency is 15-20 mins. Let the bus driver know that you would like to get off at the Buddha Park. The journey should cost 8,000 kip.
For the return trip, simply cross over to the lane heading in the opposite direction and wait for the same bus. There is a convenient store located beside the bus stop.
By Tuk tuk
You can also choose to hire a tuk tuk for the journey. The prices of tuk tuk vary but travellers we met there paid 8,000 kip per person and there were 6 of them altogether. There is also transportation by arranged by hostels at 70,000 kip per person which we thought were out of the question.
By Loca (a local ride-hailing app)
Unlike the neighbouring countries, Laos does not have Uber or Grab. We used Loca a couple of times and it is well, not the best but an easier option than taking a taxi. In general, our journey cost 10,000 – 12,000 kip per km.
The best thing about ride-hailing is that they will pick you up no matter where you are, and anytime you want.
Entrance fees and opening hours
An entrance of 15,000 kip per person is required and it only opens from 8 AM – 5 PM. The park is not huge so 2 hours is sufficient to stroll through the park and take photos.
What to expect in Buddha Park?
Start exploring the park by entering the main structure of the park – the 3-storey Pumpkin tower where you can have an overview of the park at the top of the tower which the highest level represents ‘heaven‘.
To get into the pumpkin, enter from the giant demon mouth and there are two different flight of stairs up. I recommend using the one located right in the centre of the pumpkin. Although a little steeper than the other one, you can see the statues in the pumpkin up close.
A walk-through of main sculptures:
Combine it with a day trip to Nong Khai, Thailand
During the revolution days, Sulilat escaped to Nong Khai where he built a similar sculpture park on a larger scale just a few kilometres apart. It is definitely possible to combine the trip to Buddha Park and Nong Khai in a day.
Save to Pinterest!
