Buddha Park Museum

Address: Buddha Park (Xieng Khuan), about 25 km SE of Vientiane, Laos (on the Mekong)

Hours: Daily (daytime visiting hours)

Admission: Small on-site entrance fee (paid locally)

Buddha Park (Xieng Khuan) is a sculpture garden located near Vientiane, Laos, containing a large collection of Hindu and Buddhist statues created in 1958 by the sculptor and mystic Luang Pu Bunleua Sulilat. The site is notable for its eclectic, monumental figures and walkable garden layout.

Visitors encounter over 200 concrete and plaster statues arranged across the park, including a giant reclining Buddha and numerous hybrid mythological figures. A multi-level, pumpkin-shaped pavilion allows visitors to climb inside and view statues from above, and paths lead through clusters of sculptures.

The park was established in 1958 by Luang Pu Bunleua Sulilat, who combined elements of Hindu and Buddhist iconography into large-scale sculptures and landscaped the collection as a public garden. The works reflect his personal religious and artistic vision rather than official temple art.

Situated on the outskirts of Vientiane in Vientiane Prefecture, the park lies southeast of the city centre and is typically reached by car or tuk-tuk on trips from Vientiane.

• Sculpture count and creator: The park contains over 200 sculptures combining Hindu and Buddhist iconography, created by sculptor Luang Pu Bunleua Sulilat in 1958.
• Visiting note: Located on the outskirts of Vientiane, it is commonly visited on half-day trips from the city and can be crowded mid-day on weekends.

What to See#

• Sculpture garden: Large concrete and plaster sculptures of Hindu and Buddhist figures arranged in a garden park, including a giant reclining Buddha and many hybrid mythological figures.
• Pumpkin pagoda pavilion: A pumpkin-shaped, multi-level pavilion that visitors can enter and climb to view statues from above, often referred to as the park’s central structure.

Buddha Park (Xieng Khuan) is east/southeast of Vientiane and is commonly visited from the city. The park is about a 25-30 km drive from central Vientiane; tourists normally take a tuk‑tuk, taxi or a shared minivan/tour from Vientiane (roughly a 30-45 minute ride depending on traffic). There is parking on site if you drive.

• Visit early in the morning or late afternoon to avoid Vientiane day-trip tour buses and to get the best light for photographing the large outdoor sculptures without the mid-day glare.
• The park sits about 20-30 minutes southeast of central Vientiane-arrange a tuk‑tuk, rented bike, or taxi from the city and ask to be dropped at the main highway entrance so you can walk the sculpture grounds in a single loop.
• Make time to climb inside the large 'pumpkin'-shaped structure for a different perspective; many visitors breeze past the less obvious sculptures at the rear of the park, so walk the full circuit rather than stopping at the first cluster.