Wat Ounalom

Standing on the riverfront not far from the royal palace, this temple is the headquarters of one of the country's principal Buddhist orders and has long been a centre of religious authority in the capital. Founded in the fifteenth century, it suffered heavy damage and lost much of its monastic community during the upheaval of the late twentieth century before being restored. A tall central stupa said to enshrine a relic anchors the compound, surrounded by prayer halls and monks' quarters central to religious life.