Wat Choum Khong Sourin Tharame

The bright red roof of Wat Choum Khong sweeps low toward the ground, trimmed with elaborate gold stenciling that catches the afternoon sun. Built in eighteen forty-three by a local official named Chao Souvanna Phakhoum, the temple holds a collection of bronze Buddha statues salvaged from older, ruined sites nearby. When the temple was consecrated, the community buried a collection of ceremonial items in a deep pit beneath the main altar to protect the spiritual foundation of the building for future generations.