Buddhist Temples

Seen loads of Buddhist temples over the last month in Thailand and Laos and architecturally they are very impressive. A few things I found out:

• There are over 31200 temples around Thailand alone.
• Temple aesthetics differ from different regions of the country. They can be influenced by surrounding countries, like Burma, or their location, so if they are situated in the mountains, by the water edge or in a town.
• The compounds contain several buildings, both religious and quarters for the monks to live in.
• The significance of the area is enhanced by a wall that separated it from its surroundings.

Temple on Water, Koh Samui, Thailand

This temple had a very picturesque and magical setting on water. It included much iconography within its many figure statues. It was very colourful and ornate, even more so than many of the temples we passed in towns. There was definitely a feel of importance and prestige here. 

One of the many Temples in Luang Prabang, Laos

Whilst walking through the streets of the town we passed this temple. The forms created from the tiers in the roof are so striking. Some of the buildings are very big and tiers create an elegant feeling, withholding grand aesthetics. I also found the roof added a dynamic aspect to the temples which would complement their function.

Wat Xieng Thong Temple, Luang Prabang, Laos

This was my favourite temple out of the many we saw. It sits on the bank of the Mekong River and the layout of the buildings make it feel spacious yet intriguing to explore. The decoration is one of the most striking parts of the temple. Mostly painted in black lacquer with intricate gold leaf and mosaic style designs, it seems personal and less flashy then other temples. The larger sweeping roofs, influenced by the northern styles, also gave a more encapsulating sense.