page_title: Wat Ong Teu Mahawihan
section_title: Roof
hierarchical_section_title: Wat Ong Teu Mahawihan / Exterior of the ordination hall / Roof
caption_attribution_description: Le Vat Ong Theu est appelé également Pagode du Bouddha lourd. Il a été initialement construit au 16ème siècle par le roi Setthathirat, celui qui a construit le Grand Stupa (That Luang). La pagode a été détruite lors de l'invasion siamoise de 1828 puis reconstruite au 19ème siècle. Ce monastère est la résidence du Patriarche Suprême du Laos.
context_page_description: Wat Ong Teu Mahawihan is one of many Buddhist monasteries in the city of Vientiane in Laos. This name is given to the temple due to the large, bronze Phra Ong Teu Buddha image that is in the temple: the largest Buddha in Vientiane. This temple was initially constructed by King Setthathirath I in the 16th century when Laos was being bombarded by the Burmese, but was later demolished during a foreign invasion. Thus, it may have gone through many reconstructions during the 19th or 20th century to attain the appearance it has today.
  Though this temple is created in Vientiane, it has the basic shape for what is known as the ‘Luang Prabang I style’ with its scarce use of brickwork and rectangular-like body.
  Wat Ong Teu is said to have been placed along a cardinal point in accordance with three other temples but that may just be coincidental.
context_section_description: Seemingly the most intricate part of the exterior of Wat Ong Teu is its roof. It illustrates myriad styles from around Asia that blend in an extraordinarily harmonious way. 
  A commonly used feature in Asia is for a curved roof. This non-linear approach was originated by the Chinese. In China, architects thought that evil spirits despised curved lines, therefore giving an apotropaic effect to the temple. Lao ideas of the curved roof should have been similar to China’s as well. This aspect is especially important when the principal function of this temple is to teach the Buddhist religion. Students learning the Buddhism should especially be protected from the evils of the outside world.
  An interesting feature is the multiple roofs that descend past the boundaries of the wall at a slope. This aspect is exclusive to Laos. Specifically, there are three or four superimposed roofs, with the two bottom roofs being supported by columns from within the temple. The reason for this intricate design is unknown, but it may be another aspect of protection because multiple roofs could cause confusion among evil spirits.
  The stone spire decoration with stacked, superimposed, decreasingly sized disks in the center of the keel is definitively a Buddhist element. It is known that before the Buddha went through enlightenment, he was always covered by parasols to indicate his status as a prince. Therefore, it is not unusual to see a parasol-like spire atop this temple. The other flame-like decorations, called chaw faa (sky clusters), lining the edges and vertices of the roof are frequently used in Laos. This may be another quality that emphasizes the apotropaic effect of the roof.
caption: Details of the golden pedestal.
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