Buddha Park

Buddha Park

Buddha Park, also known as Xieng Khuan (as well as other variations of the spelling) is a sculpture park located 25 km southeast from Vientiane, Laos in a meadow by the Mekong River. It may be referred to as Wat Xieng Khuan (Lao: ວັດຊຽງຄວນ, _th. วัดเซียงควน) although the park is not a temple ("Wat"). The name "Xieng Khuan" means "Spirit City". The park contains over 200 Hindu and Buddhist statues.

The park was built in 1958 by Luang Pu (Venerable Grandfather) Bunleua Sulilat. Luang Pu Bunleua Sulilat was a priest-shaman who integrated Hinduism and Buddhism and later fled from Laos to Thailand after the revolution in 1975. There, he built another sculpture park, Sala Keoku in Nong Khai.

The statues are made of cement and are ornate, and sometimes bizarre, in design. The statues appear to be centuries old, though they are not. There are numerous sculptures of Buddha and characters of Hindu lore. There are also sculptures of humans, gods, animals, and demons. One notable sculpture resembles giant pumpkin. It has three stories representing three levels - Hell, Earth and Heaven. Visitors can enter through an opening which is a mouth of a 10 ft tall demon head and climb staircases from hell to heaven. Each story contains sculptures depicting the level. At the top, there is a vantage point where the entire park is visible. Another sculpture, an enormous 40 m high reclining Buddha, is also a park attraction.

References

*John Maizels, Deidi von Schaewen (photo), Angelika Taschen (ed.), "Fantasy Worlds", Taschen (2007), pp. 218-219.

ee also

*Visionary environments
*Outsider art
*Wat Rong Khun
*Sanctuary of Truth
*Vientiane

External links

* [http://inmemoriamluangpu.blogspot.com/2008/05/buddha-park-and-sala-keoku.html Collected images from Bunleua Sulilat's sculpture gardens]
* [http://www.asahi-net.or.jp/~hr4t-oot/xiengeng.html Wat Xieng Khuan]
* [http://www.blurrytravel.com/sea2003/journal/09122003/09122003.html Xieng Kuan (Buddha Park), Vientiane, Laos]
* [http://www.angelfire.com/or/jerrywillard/vientiane.html Vientiane's Attractions]
* [http://www.boldnewlook.com/budpark1.html#lonely Reclining Buddha]
* [http://www.asiaexplorers.com/laos/vientiane/xiengkhuan.htm Buddha Park Travel Info]
* [http://www.robjagnow.com/travel/laos05/index.html Vientiane Travels]
* [http://www.photo-tropism.com/1-100/117.htm Photo-tropism] : Three(3) photos of Xieng Khuan
*http://gilkergu.free.fr/Asie/Laos/Vat_Xieng_Khuan/Vat_Xieng_Khuan.htm
*http://www.thelongwander.com/vientiane_buddhapark.html
*http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/


Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Поможем решить контрольную работу

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Buddha images in Thailand — A Buddha image in Thailand typically refers to three dimensional stone, wood, clay, or metal cast images of the Buddha. While there are such figures in all regions where Buddhism is commonly practiced, the appearance, composition and position of… …   Wikipedia

  • Buddha: Der Erleuchtete —   Die Zeit von 600 bis 500 v. Chr. war für die Entwicklung der indischen Kultur eine der entscheidenden Perioden. Um die Mitte des 1. Jahrtausends v. Chr. bildeten sich im Nordosten Indiens Oligarchien und kleine Königreiche mit Städten als… …   Universal-Lexikon

  • Buddha Utthayan — ( th. พุทธอุทยาน, Buddhist Park) is a park like area in Khao Dan Phra Bat, Tambon Bung, just north of Amnat Charoen. It is known for Phra Mongkhon Ming Muang ( th. พระมงคลมิ่งเมือง}), also called Phra Yai ( th. ใหญ่), a major Buddha image located …   Wikipedia

  • Buddha: Sein Leben und seine Lehre —   Die Berichte über das Leben des Buddha wurden schon sehr früh legendenhaft ausgeschmückt. Wahrscheinlich lebte und wirkte er im 5. 4. Jahrhundert v. Chr.; nach einmütiger Überlieferung starb er in seinem 80. Lebensjahr nach dem Genuss einer… …   Universal-Lexikon

  • Buddha's hand — Citrus medica var. sarcodactylis Buddha s hand fruit, underside of open hand form Scientific classification Kingdom …   Wikipedia

  • Buddha — /booh deuh, bood euh/, n. 1. Also called Butsu, Gautama, Gautama Buddha. (Prince Siddhattha or Siddhartha) 566? c480 B.C., Indian religious leader: founder of Buddhism. 2. any of a series of teachers in Buddhism, of whom Gautama was the last, who …   Universalium

  • Buddha Jayanti Park — The Buddha Jayanti Smarak Park is situated in southern part of the Delhi ridge in New Delhi, India.It was created on the occasion of the 2500th anniversary of Gautama Buddha s enlightenment. A sapling of the Bodhi Tree in Sri Lanka was planted… …   Wikipedia

  • Buddha-Statue (Thailand) — Schreitender Buddha, Sukhothai Stil Eine Buddha Statue ist das plastische, meist idealisierte Abbild des Buddha. Eine Buddha Statue wurde nicht als Kunstwerk geschaffen, zur Dekoration oder nur, um das Auge zu erfreuen. Die Absicht war vielmehr,… …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Buddha Bar — Le Buddha Bar est un Restaurant Bar Lounge parisien, situé 8/12 rue Boissy d Anglas (Place de la Concorde), dans le 8e arrondissement de Paris. Il fait partie du groupe George V Eatertainment.  Ce site est desservi par la station de… …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Park Nou-sik — This is a Korean name; the family name is Park. Park Nou sik Born February 4, 1930(1930 02 04) Seoul, South Korea Died April 3, 1995(1995 04 03) (aged 65) …   Wikipedia

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
… Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”