Pha That Luang

Pha That Luang, which means Great Stupa, is a gold-covered Buddhist monument in Vientiane, the capital of Laos. A stupa is a dome-shaped building that holds sacred relics. This one is the national symbol of Laos and appears on the country's coat of arms.

The golden spire is 45 meters high and rises above terraces shaped like lotus petals. It is surrounded by 30 smaller stupas. The present building goes back to the 16th century, though a first shrine on this spot is said to be much older, from the 3rd century BC, built by missionaries sent by the Indian emperor Ashoka.

History of the great stupa

In 1566 King Setthathirat moved his capital from Luang Prabang to Vientiane and ordered the temple built. In 1641 a Dutch visitor, Gerrit van Wuysthoff, wrote that he was most impressed by the huge pyramid, whose top was covered with about a thousand pounds of gold leaf. The stupa was robbed by Burmese, Siamese and Chinese armies, and a Thai invasion destroyed it in 1828. The French began restoring it in 1900 using drawings made in 1867 by Louis Delaporte, but that first try failed, and a new design was built in the 1930s.

How is it laid out?

The first level of the base is about 68 by 69 meters, the second is 48 meters on each side, and the third is 30 meters on each side. From the ground to the tip, the stupa is 45 meters high. A wall around the courtyard, about 85 meters long on each side, holds cloisters. The area around the stupa is now fenced to keep traffic out, though earlier visitors could drive around the whole complex.

On the globe

The model shows the golden stupa with lotus-petal terraces and a tall spire, ringed by 30 small stupas. Look for the shining spire.