Buddha Park Photo | TrekEarth

Photographer’s Note

Xien Khuan,Buddha park

In a field by the Mekong River,off Th Tha Deua,24km south of central Vientiane,Xien Khuan is,as the name suggests ,a park full of Buddihist and Hindu sculpture that is a monument to one eccentric man's quite bizzare ambition.
Xien Khuan was designed and built in 1958 by Luang Pu (Venerable Grandfather) Bunleua Sulilat,a yogi-priest-shaman who merged Hindu and Buddist philosophy,mythology and iconagraphy into a cryptic whole.Originally Bunleua is supposed to have studied under Hindu rishi(sage) who lived in Vietnam.Legend has is that their meeting was fortunate,to say the least,as while Bunlena was walking in the mountains he fell through a sinkhole and landed in the rishi's lap.
Bunlena developed a large following in Laos and northeastern Thailand,and moved to Thailand around the time of 1975 Revolution.In 1978,he established the similarly inspired Wat Khaek in Nong Khai,Thailand.

steliosk, dip, saylan-cb, carper, gunbud, stego, shevchenko, Budapestman, scroller, realimis, Tue, pablominto, zmey, zhelach, Graal, ChrisJ, Henryk_Bilor, kpav, Silvio1953, azaf1, jaywalker, Gerrit, bakes888, jlbrthnn, MarcT, Jakab, Cricri, ifanik, gracious, Truja, bostankorkulugu, crckt, salvator, paura, pierrefonds has marked this note useful

Critiques | Translate

steliosk (4784) 2008-03-27 8:02

Na kseres poso se zhleuw agaphte Dano.
exeis dei pragmata pou apokleietai na dw sth zwh mou.

toulaxiston se sygxairw gia tis swstes / pistes kai perigrafikes apeikonhseis sou, pragma pou kaneis arista.

H sygekrimenh me tous pistous skoteinous tonous exei grapsei apsoga.

Xrhsimo opws panta kai to synodeutiko note ;)

Xairetw file mou
Stelios

dip (13068) 2008-03-27 8:07

Geia sou Dano,
entuposiaki kai exotiki i fotografia sou apo to parko,
sugkrinontas tis figoures-agalmata me tous anthropous pou perpatoun ekei katalavainei kaneis poso terastia einai,
polu kalo to simeio lipsis kai to kadrarisma,
Se xaireto,
Dimitris.

Chris3 (511) 2008-03-27 9:09

Γεια σου Δάνο,
Τελικά είσαι απίστευτος.Πώς μπόρεσες και πήγες εκεί πέρα;Είναι μια φοβερή φωτογραφία με πολύ καλή γωνία λήψης,όμορφα χρώματα και καλό καδράρισμα.Πολύ καλό και το σημείωμα.
Χαιρετώ,
Χρήστος

evanrizo (456) 2008-03-27 10:22

Το πάρκο με τα υπαρκτά φαντάσματα!
Γειάσου Δάνο.
Μπορεί να μην βοηθάει ο περίγυρος π.χ. το έδαφος για να αναδειχθούν τα αγάλματα και όλα τα αντικείμενα εκεί αλλά η καταγραφή τους είναι πολύ καλή και μπορούν να ξεχωρίσουν.
Τα βοηθάει το καλό φως και το καλό κοντραστ που δούλεψες πολύ.
Καλό βράδυ.
Βαγγέλης

gildasjan (24781) 2008-03-27 11:00

Bonjour Danos
C'est exceptionnel ce parc,je trouve que la texture des statues est très bien révélée dans cette image.
Bonne fin de journée.
Amicalement
Gildas

Waylim (11943) 2008-03-27 12:42

Danos,
Great overall view of this famous, Buddha park, one of the best I've seen of this park. Good composition with great clarity and sharpness. Beautiful, Thanks for sharing this image of my homeland.
Way

Miha2ou7 (4993) 2008-03-27 15:54

Hey Danos,

A nice distinct focus here, and overall presentation, I`m glad you had fun in SE Asia, waiting for more.

See you around.

gunbud (28813) 2008-03-27 18:04

Hi Danos,
Wow what a wonderfully ornate garden full of these lovely ancient statutes seen in all their lovely intricate details. The tropical trees make a beautiful farme for this outstanding image.
Regards, Tom

stego (22514) 2008-03-27 18:49

Hi Danos,

It looks an amazing and fabled place. I had never heard about it or of his creator, so I thank you not only the excellent photo, but also for increasing my knowledge.
You did a great job with the compo and the light management, by choosing a vantage POV and putting it slightly dark, which seems to enhance a certain mysterious mood that goes well with the place. The presence of the people is nice and very important to give scale, as without them I could think that the statues were much smaller.

TFS, Regards, José.

PS: I am sorry that I won't be able to visit Greece this Summer after all. My wife doesn't know when she will need to be in Portugal for taking care of professional bureaucratic obligations, so we find more advisable to stay closer. Maybe next year...

shevchenko (10511) 2008-03-27 21:37

Hi Danos,
Fantastic park I never see before, good pov shooting from above to show the staute every where in the park, thanks for sharing an unique statue in WS photo too.
Ally

Stepan (27181) 2008-03-28 0:15

Interesting general view about a park thats seems to be amazing with all these beautiful statues... Moody brown tones too.
Stéphane

carper (67302) 2008-03-28 0:44

well Danos, to be honest,
it's for sure not you best photo, but I like this buddha park and I have never seen such a place before thank you for that, have a nice evening.
gr. jaap

Budapestman (44737) 2008-03-28 1:47

Hi Danos,
Great shot for this park with spectacular composition, I like the beautiful details, atmosphere is particular. Great impression, Have a nice weekend
George

UnTrained (0) 2008-03-28 3:31

Kalimera Danos,
you offer us an astonishing view from a good high POV, I like the quality of the textures and the details. With my small knowledge of Buddhism this seems to be a bit strange.
Lieben Gruss, Ulf

scroller (2887) 2008-03-28 4:02

Hej Danos,

You have created a mysterious feeling in this photo. The little darker areas and the brighter statues, makes a fine compliments to each other.
Hälsningar
/Stefan

realimis (820) 2008-03-28 4:37

Γεια σου Δάνε και καλώς επέστρεψες στα πάτρια εδάφη!!

Κατάρχήν και βλέποντας τις φωτογραφίες σου σκέφτηκα πόσο τυχερός είσαι που βρέθηκες εκεί, που βίωσες σκηνικά από μία άλλη κουλτουρά!! Υπέροχα!! Η φωτογραφία σου είναι πολύ όμορφη...με εξαιρετικά επιλεγμένο σημείο λήψης, ωραίους χρωματισμούς, "αγάλματα" που κινούν την περιέργεια...και τέλος, νομίζω εσωκλείει όλα εκείνα τα στοιχεία που κάνει κάποιον να θελήσει να μάθει περισσότερα για το Λάος και την κουλτουρα των ανθρώπων εκεί!

Να είσαι καλά!Καλό Σαβ/κο!
Ρενέ

ls7902 (6420) 2008-03-28 6:45

Hello Danos,
Interesting mystical story ... especially the part falling & landing into his teacher/master's lap. I have not seen a place like this before. Great capture & POV of the big & small budhas. The visitors shows there show how big some of the Buddha statues are. Regards. Latiff.

vincz (19085) 2008-03-28 10:23

I was there not long ago! A bit weird place! You got it very well catching the diversity of the statues. Great one.

saylan-cb (12726) 2008-03-28 10:32

Kalimera Danos
Great shot!Very nice composition and good colours,good POV here.
Excellent work.
TFS/Regards
:)Tomorrow

delic (6735) 2008-03-28 12:28

Traveling to some truly interesting places, I see. This is a very good one, Danos. Contrast is powerful and the somewhat dark rendition makes the scene more intriguing. Regards,
Hakan

mursaloglu (5350) 2008-03-28 13:47

Γεια σου Δάνο
I visited Laos last year and I liked so much. Really great lovely country. Your picture is very amazing one with great sense of depht. The perspective also is a great deal here. Mu ares poli bravo my friend. ihsan

Tue (25770) 2008-03-28 14:03

Hi Danos,
Very nice view of this park full of such interesting sculptures. The composition is spot-on and the soft light is really very pleasant. The photo is also full of nice, natural colours. Very successful work, thanks for sharing!
Regards,
Lars

pablominto (42522) 2008-03-28 14:27

Hello Danos,
Frankly I can understand why the place got its name..!
You do well with timing since the place is not overcrowded, probably wouldn't work so well with all the statues...
Effective point of view and many interesting details to explore!
Greetings,
Pablo -

zmey (7296) 2008-03-28 14:34

kalispera danos

an interesting and 'trek-earthy' capture, nicely showing the complexities of the park's layout. i am not happy with the light though: it seems as if the figures are disappearing in the background. but hey, i know, it's hard to catch "just the right light" when we travel. thanks for sharing this interesting sight.

with warm regards,
kristaps

zhelach (3602) 2008-03-28 23:28

Hello Danos!
Wonderful view! Good composition and perspective! Nice place! Interesting note!
TFS, Best regards, Zorica

jemaflor (40669) 2008-03-29 3:59

Hi Danos,
Impressive effect from this pov, good perspective on all the place, well taken.

chrkont (3733) 2008-03-29 4:16

Αγαπητέ Δάνο γεια
Παρ' όλο το δύσκολο της λήψης, μας ταξιδεύεις πολύ όμορφα στα μαγικά μέρη που περνάς. Αν και το φως δεν είναι το καλύτερο, δημιουργεί όμως μια ενδιαφέρουσα μυστηριακή ατμόσφαιρα που ταιριάζει με το θέα σου.
TFS - χαιρετώ
Χρήστος

Graal (60312) 2008-03-29 4:17

Hi Danos,
amazing place and view. Interesting informations. Good work. I like it.
Gr., Aleksander

ChrisJ (71614) 2008-03-29 4:21

Hi Danos

The guy that designed this, fled Laos in 1975, & set up an almost identical park near Nong Khai, in Thailand. (I've been to the Thai version, but not the Lao one, so tfs).

mesutilgim (38604) 2008-03-29 4:58

Hi dear Danos,
Wonderfull scene, very well seen, composed and captured.
An entry with rich information and as it should be : learning the world through photography.
TFS and have a nice weekend
Best regards
MESUT ILGIM

Fis2 (47675) 2008-03-29 5:11

Hej Danos!
Very interesting place. Good frame and curious colours. Photo has climate.
Have a nice weekend
Krzysztof

Henryk_Bilor (20377) 2008-03-29 5:43

Hi Danos
Beautiful park. Very interesting sculptures. Nice light and composition.
Have a nice day.

kpav (5027) 2008-03-29 8:38

Γεια σου Δάνο, εξαιρετική και εξωτική η φωτογραφία σου μας μεταφέρει την ατμόσφαιρα του ξεχωριστού αυτού καθώς φαίνεται πάρκου. Τα γλυπτά είναι εντυπωσιακά και η θέση λήψης που επέλεξες μας δίνει μια γενική άποψη σε μία πολύ καλή και πιστή καταγραφή από τον φακό σου. Σε χαιρετώ,
Κώστας.

anducina (8189) 2008-03-29 8:41

Very impressive art works, excellent colors and light. I like the brown tones of the statues and the touches of color of the tropical flowers. Excellent POV and framing.
TFS and have a nice WE !

Andreea

jaywalker (12853) 2008-03-29 12:35

Hi Danos, What an amazing scene, so many Buddha’s in one place, I like the high POV it helps the viewer greatly &, the people assist with the scale of the set, a fabulous informative photo & note, kind regards Wilson.

azaf1 (15625) 2008-03-29 13:03

Dane kalispera
Poli omorfi h foto afti. Mou aresei pou einai gemati apo ena plithos pragmata se ena pinaka topothetimena poli kala me tin gonia lipsis kai ta panemorfa xromata. Namaste kala na taksidevoume mazi sou
filika
Argiris

Gerrit (36967) 2008-03-29 16:10

Hi Danos,
what a wonderful place. You can only imagine the scale when you see the tiny people walking. Surreal.
Regards< Gerrit

danyy (70659) 2008-03-29 16:34

Bonjour Danos,
des lumières très particulières.
Mais elles sont excellentes.
Elles vitaminisent les couleurs, déjà bien agréables.
Excellent POV en légère altitude.
Un très bel endroit à visiter.
Regards.
Daniel.

Silvio1953 (45136) 2008-03-30 0:28

Hi Danos, great POV for a splendid view of lovely park, good perspective and excellent sharpness, very well done, ciao Silvio

bakes888 (18353) 2008-03-30 0:29

Hi Danos. Great photo. Well chosen POV. The flowers add a splash of colour to the scene. Well captured and thanks for sharing.
Cheers, Paul.

jlbrthnn (40877) 2008-03-30 1:05

Hello Danos,
the point of view and framing make this photograph a very strange sight. The mottled statues and their colours are decorated by the mauve flowers. A good work well considering.
Have anice day
Cordially
Joël

MarcT (21113) 2008-03-30 6:05

Hi Danos,
That's a funny place. It's kind of magical and strange too. Well shown.
Cheers
Marc

Jakab (3622) 2008-03-30 7:10

Hello Danos,
I must admit I don't like this picture. No, it's not your fault, you did your best with composition and light management so as to express the atmosphere of the park. My problem is even this atmosphere which is very far from my idea of Buddhism (like Ulf seems to have the same doubt) and reminds me on statue parks in Hungary where the monuments of the socialist era have been collected. (Or are these Hungarian parks my real problem?)
Anyway, it is definitely an interesting part of the world and I am grateful to you for having informed me about it.
Best whishes
Laszlo

Cricri (45241) 2008-03-30 8:35

Hi Danos,
Une curiosité ce parc rempli de statues aux formes et détails particulier que le WS montre bien, bon POV et compo
Friendship
cricri

ifanik (20816) 2008-03-30 8:36

Entyposiakh ekswtikh eikona file Ntano
Texnika apsogh
Sygxartiria
Xairetw
Nikos

gracious (20017) 2008-03-30 8:55

Hello Danos,
Well captured with a good pov from higher ground over the park!
very good clarity, warm colouration and details over it
well done and many thanks for the sharing
greeting
Tony

TGULUMSER (12528) 2008-04-01 1:24

Hello Danos,
It is a very interesting park. Your POV is excellent, colors are impressive,
Best regards,
Tulay

Truja (4953) 2008-04-02 9:33

Hi Danos,
fantastic perspective of the Buddha Park, with the old sculptures and their attractive forms and silhouettes. It seems a place with great enchantment and history, very spectacular.
It surprises the so great dimension to me of some of the sculptures, are immense! The WS is fantastic with the strange sculpture that closes the park.

Best regards, Jordi

bostankorkulugu (34562) 2008-04-02 21:24

what a charming place to visit dano, i am jelaous of you... i like looking at the park from above... the weather was not the best obviously but the flowers add enough colour and charm i think... all the best...

korkut

crckt (7116) 2008-04-03 18:20

Hi Danos,
I think this is a wonderful shot, it is busy but very very unique. Would love to visit one day. Good informative note too.
Regards,
Shaeri

salvator (19073) 2008-04-04 2:06

Yasu Danos,
A very nice pov, nice colors and details. The dark tones have given a nice air to the photo.
Se xereto. Salvator.

paura (40841) 2008-04-04 14:14

Danos,
Very nicely obtained photoraphy, rich in interesting shapes and colors. Is an amazing place indeed.

regards

Paulo

pierrefonds (27438) 2008-04-24 4:05

Hi Danos,

This is a mixture of different religious artworks. The point of view is leading our eyes towards the end of the park. The presence of people has an effect of scale. The trees are a natural frame to the park. There is a good contrast between the colors. Have a nice day.

Pierre

NMaverick (0) 2008-05-22 5:38

Geia sou Dano, pragmatika zhlevw ta merh pou exeis paei. To meros einai gemato proklhseis kai h xwra epishs. Exeis polla 8emata na fwtografiseis kai to kaneis me para poly kalh texnikh, pou dyskolevei akoma kai thn pio aysthrh kritikh. Apo emena isws to mono pou enoxlei sto kadrarisma einai to katw aristera meros pou me ligo clone brush apo to xwrafi 8a erxotan sta isia tou.
Na sai kala
Nikos

thanos_ak47 (17) 2008-11-11 0:45

Αγαπητέ Δάνο,

Επειδή τυχαίνει να είμαι λάτρης των ταξιδιών στην Ασία, νομίζω πως θα συμμφωνήσεις πως οι περισσότερες χώρες της ηπείρου σου δίνουν τη δυνατότητα για απίστευτες φωτογραφίες.
Μου άρεσαν πάρα πολύ τα χρώματα και το όλο σκηνικό είναι πραγματικά μοναδικό..

Θάνος