Buddha Park, Sculpture garden in Hadxayfong District, Laos

Buddha Park is a sculpture garden of over 200 reinforced-concrete figures set in a meadow by the Mekong River, 25 km southeast of Vientiane. Its centrepiece is a 40-metre-long reclining Buddha; other works depict humans, gods, animals and demons. In the photograph, a reclining figure with a pointed head ornament lies beside a multi-headed tower, with a serpent-headed balustrade in the foreground.

Luang Pu Bunleua Sulilat founded this spiritual place in 1958, combining Buddhist and Hindu elements in a single vision. After the 1975 revolution, the creator left the country, leaving the work behind.

The name Xieng Khuan means "spirit city", though the site is not a temple and is sometimes called Wat Xieng Khuan because of its many religious images. The statues were cast by unskilled workers under the supervision of Luang Pu Bunleua Sulilat, who combined Hindu and Buddhist figures in one park.

The site is located about 25 kilometers southeast of Vientiane and is open daily from 9 AM to 5 PM throughout the year. Wear sturdy shoes as paths between the many figures are uneven, and bring sun protection as it can be very hot.

The pumpkin-shaped mass has three storeys reached through the open mouth of a 3-metre-tall demon head. Inside, staircases climb from hell through earth to heaven, each level lined with sculptures of that realm. The top opens onto a vantage point over the whole park.