Phu That in Oudomxay, Laos
Phu That Stupa (or the Xaymungkhun Ratanamingmuang Stupa) is the most prominent hill top stupa in Oudomxay, located in the center of the Muang Xay town. The stupa was built to allow all people of the region to come together to celebrate religious festivals and tradition (give alms to the monks, purify themselves, make offerings to ancestors, etc.). Religious celebrations on every full moon day are held at the stupa.
It is presumed that the 600-year-old stupa was originally built by Tai Leuduring the time when Xaysettha was King of Laos. The stupa measures 18m by 18m by 18m, and is also known as “the symbol of Oudomxay”.
Join Muang Xay’s most sacred religious site on a hilltop, and catch the best viewpoint of the town and the convergence of the Nam Beng and Nam Phak Rivers. Crowning the forested knoll stands Phou That Stupa (Xaymoungkhoun Latanamingmeuang), a golden 18-metre-tall monument, with an 18m2 base. Historians suggest the Tai Lue built the monument in the 14th century during the reign of Lane Xang King Saysethathirath to hold religious festivals and celebrations. During French colonial times, the hilltop housed a military camp, and during the 1st Indochina War, the stupa was levelled. Reconstruction began in 1994, and a 15 metre-high Buddha statue joined the new stupa in 2010. You can also meet the monks residing at Vat Muang Xay.
Location: Phou That Stupa is situated in the south-central part of Muang Xay Town, across Route 13 from the old stadium. If coming from town, take a right before the airport road. The road up the hill to the stupa is on the right. You can take a tuk tuk, motorbike, and bicycle from the town centre to the site.
