In the 1828 Siam war the temple was destroyed by the invaders and the temple we see today was completed in 1942 with French money. According to the Lonely Planet it was supposed to be built based exactly on the original plans. But architecturally it resembles none of the other local temples and bears a strong resemblance to Bangkok style temples.
Today Haw Phra Keuw has a wooden replica where the emerald Buddha once was. It is now a museum of religious artifacts and has a serene collection of Buddhas
And as a comparison here are three photos of slightly less serene subjects - and these were not inserted in response to someone's comments about the number of pictures of Andrew so far!
But to finish, back to a more Laoation subject
At last photographic proof that Paula did in fact accompany you there!
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