Wat Si Muang is located in the middle of Setthathilath road and Samsenthai road, there is a temple that represents the combination of Buddhist faith and Laos’s original belief. There are many legends related to this temple but one thing is certain: Si Muang is the name of a pregnant woman about 300 years ago. The Lao people built Wat Si Muang temple to worship and commemorate this woman. If you come to Vientiane, you can come here to do the ceremony to tie the garment, according to Lao tradition.
Wat Si Muang or Simuong temple (Simuong), built in 1566, is the main pillar of the city and the most sacred temple in Vientiane. The temple is the soul of the city, where the people of Laos often come to pray for peace and happiness.
Wat Si Muang is located at the intersection of the streets of Sethathirat and Samsenethai, where the Lao people traditionally refer to as the “Simuang” village of Sisattanak District, Vientiane, Laos. In the pagoda, Buddha images are present everywhere. Every day we also meet local people and visitors to the Buddhist temple with offerings such as flowers, candles, coconuts, bananas…
According to Lao, “muang” means “mother”, “Si” is the name of a woman who sacrificed herself in the place where the pagoda was later built. Simuang pagoda means “Si Mother Temple”, also known as “Mother Temple”.
Lao legend says that at the time of Vientiane construction began, when the first stone laid, to pray for the city to be forever, the local people dug a well, would sacrifice a god a man and a white horse. After the information about volunteer sacrifice was offered, a three-month pregnant woman named Si lived in the beautiful Xai village and looked down at the well two times, the third time she jumped to the well for taking her own life. The villagers then buried the well in a white horse.
The woman named Si was called the Si mother, the well is filled and honored with a tower about 10 meters high. The surrounding area was later erected as a Buddhist temple – Simuang Temple. Today, a stone statue is like a fetus in front of the altar.
Since then, young mothers throughout the country of Laos during first pregnancy look to Simuang temple to pray and wish to give birth comfortably, safely…
(Source: the internet)
Some information you may need to know:
– Entrance fee: you do not need to pay the entrance fee, but you have to pay fee for parking in the ground.
– Visiting hours: Daily from 06:00 am to 07:00 pm.
– How to get to the Wat Si Muang: It will be convenient if you want to ride a bicycle or you can drive a motorbike.
Explore more article: Cope Center; Wat Sisaket; Wat Ho Phra Keo; That Dam (Black stupa); Buddha Park; Phou Khao Khouay National Park; That Luang stupa; Patuxai monument; Laos National museum; Laos Textile museum
