Taken at Wat Si Saket in Vientiane, Laos

Built between 1819 and 1824 by Chao Anou, the last monarch of the Vientiane Kingdom, Wat Si Saket is considered the oldest Buddhist temple still standing in Vientiane. As the years take their toll, this exquisite temple is in urgent need of repair. To the west of the cloister lie piles of Buddha images damaged during the Laotian rebellion of 1828, silently recounting the vicissitudes of history.