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Temples of Wat Aham and Wat Wisunarat (aka Wat Visoun) are nearby, they share a common territory, so visit them together. These are the oldest temples of Luang Prabang, as you can immediately guess from the huge ancient pagoda That Makmo. It was built in 1503, and in 1887 it was partially destroyed while trying to find hidden treasures. The primary name of this pagoda is That Pathum (Lotus stupa), and Wat Makmo it received later because of its resemblance to a watermelon, which translates roughly as "watermelon Pagoda". In 2019, the pagoda was once again restored and turned completely white, losing its ancient charm. More than 4,000 tree trunks were used to construct the Wat Wisunarat temple building, but it was completely rebuilt in the 19th century.
These temples are interesting because they have a monastery, and this is one of the places where in the morning there is a ceremony of giving food to monks (Morning alms giving), which attracts tourists. But even without ceremony, the temples are worth visiting. But there is one feature: the entrance to each of the temples costs 20,000 Kip, and you can walk around the territory for free. And to be honest, it is not necessary to go to the temples, there is nothing to see there. Inside Wat Wisunarat, you can see Buddhist-themed murals on the walls, while inside Wat Aham, the walls are painted with violent scenes of torment on the theme of heaven and hell.
Wat Aham and Wat Wisunarat temples
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Wat Aham and Wat Wisunarat temples
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Wat Aham and Wat Wisunarat temples
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Wat Aham and Wat Wisunarat temples
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Wat Aham and Wat Wisunarat temples
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Wat Aham and Wat Wisunarat temples
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Wat Aham and Wat Wisunarat temples
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Wat Aham and Wat Wisunarat temples
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Wat Aham and Wat Wisunarat temples
🕐 Working hours: from 08:00 to 17:00.
💵 Entrance fee / tickets price: entrance to the territory is free, in each of the temples 20 000 Kip (1.1 USD, see Lao currency and exchange rate).
🚶 How to get there: Wat Aham and Wat Wisunarat on the map of Luang Prabang