The ‘Stupa in the Middle of the River’ (sometimes called Phra That Nong Khai) is a ruined Lao-style chedi submerged in the middle of the river and can only be seen in the dry season when the water is low: the river rises and falls about 13m annually. It was gobbled up by the meandering Mekong in the middle of the 18th century and it toppled over in 1847.
Despite the destruction, it’s still holy and when it’s exposed, people attach coloured fabrics to it. Phra That La Nong, a modern chedi inspired by the original, glows brightly at night from the adjacent shore.