Pha That Luang

Pha That Luang (Great Stupa in Lao) is the most significant religious and national monument in Laos. Situated on a hill five km north of Vientiane it was built in the 16th century on the ruins of an earlier 13th century Khmer temple. Initially covered in gold leaf, Pha That Luang was destroyed by the Siamese invasion in 1828, then later reconstructed by the French in 1930. The temple has become a symbol of Lao nationalism. Pha That Luang consists of three levels, each conveying a reflection of part of the Buddhist belief.