The Pha Bang is a 83cm tall Buddha cast of a gold, silver and bronze alloy, and is said to weigh 53.4kg. Legend has it the image was cast around the 1st century AD in Sri Lanka and later presented to Khmer King Phaya Sirichantha, who in turn gave it to King Fa Ngum in 1359 as a Buddhist legitimiser of Lao sovereignty. A project planned before the monarchy was abolished in 1975, construction on this highly ornate pavilion began in 1993.