Laos continuously discovered Buddha statues believed to date back hundreds of years

A reporter at Vientine led the Lao press on April 8 to report that a treasure trove of ancient Buddha statues was recently discovered in Xiengkhuang province, Northern Laos .

Previously, more than 200 statues were accidentally discovered on the banks of the Mekong River in Tonpheung district in Bokeo province. These discoveries are good news not only for archaeologists but also for the people of the Buddhist country of Laos.

More than 200 statues were accidentally discovered on the banks of the Mekong River. (Illustration photo: Image China)

According to Lao press, during the process of clearing mines left over from the war, a demining team accidentally discovered a warehouse of 51 small statues in Kherng village, Phoukoud district, Xiengkhuang province.

Sharing with the Lao press, Deputy Director of the Department of Information, Culture and Tourism of Xiengkhuang province, Mr. Phetsamone Souliyaseng, said that the Buddha statues found have now been moved to the Kherng village office headquarters for safekeeping. is safe and is being closely protected.

There is currently no exact information about the age and origin of the statues, but authorities believe that the statues may date back several hundred years ago. Mr. Phetsamone said officials from the Ministry of Information, Culture and Tourism will go to Xieng Khuang province to inspect the Buddha statues.

According to Lao officials, ancient Buddha statues have been discovered in caves, forests or buried underground in the past.

In March 2024, workers while repairing a road along the Mekong River in Tonpheung district, Bokeo province, Northern Laos discovered the head of a Buddha statue and a number of other small headless statues.

After expanding the search, the authorities have so far found over 200 statues and are still continuing to search the area. Most of the statues found here so far are made of bronze and all are located at Thongthip Phatthanaram Pagoda , Yaitonpheung village, Tonpheung district, Bokeo province.

Here, the found statues will be cataloged and kept until archaeologists can determine more information about their origins.

Experts believe that the statues found in this area are the remains of temples and stupas that were part of the town of Souvanna Khomkham 400-500 years ago.