Haw Phra Kaew

Haw Phra Kaew (Lao: ຫໍພຣະແກ້ວ, pronounced [hɔ̌ː pʰāʔ kɛ̂ːw]; Thai: หอพระแก้ว, pronounced [hɔ̌ː pʰráʔ kɛ̂ːw], also spelled as Ho Prakeo, Hor Pha Keo, Ho Phra Kaew, Ho Phra Kaeo and other similar spellings, is a former temple in Vientiane, Laos. It is located on Setthathirath Road, southeast of Wat Si Saket. It was first built in 1565 to house the Emerald Buddha, but has been rebuilt several times. Its interior now houses a museum of religious art and a small shop. Haw Phra Kaew was built in 1565–1566 by order of King Setthathirath, after he moved the capital from Luang Prabang to Vientiane. The temple was built on the grounds of the royal palace to house the Emerald Buddha image, which Setthathirath had brought to Luang Prabang from Chiang Mai, then the capital of Lanna. The temple was used as Setthathirath's personal place of worship, and therefore, unlike other temples in Laos, there were no resident monks. The Emerald Buddha remained in the temple for over 200 years, but in 1779, Vientiane was captured by the Siamese general Chao Phraya Chakri (the founder of the present-day Chakri dynasty in Thailand). The image was plundered and taken to Thonburi, and the temple was destroyed. The Buddha is now housed in Wat Phra Kaew in Bangkok.
Source: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haw_Phra_Kaew