Temple of Wat Phou - Laos

The United Nations Science, Education and Culture Organization has recognized Wat Phou temple of Lao People's Democratic Republic as a World Cultural Heritage in 2001.

Wat Phou - World cultural heritage in Laos

Wat Phou (Vat Phu) is a relic of a complex of Khmer temples located in southern Laos. Wat Phou is located at the foot of Phu Cao Mountain, Champasak Province, 6 km from the Mekong River. The first works of Wat Phou were built in the V century but the architectural remains of today are built in the 11th to the 13th centuries. The temple complex has a unique architecture, in which the buildings are on either side of the road leading up to the main temple worshiping the god Siva. Later, it became the center of Buddhism, the Theravada Buddhist monastery.

Previously, Wat Phou was associated with Shrestapura - a city located east of Lingaparvata mountain (now Phu Kao mountain). At the end of the Vth century, Shrestapura was once the capital of a kingdom, so far the remains remain in the first texts and architecture of Wat Phou's population, proving that Wat Phou was built in time. this. On Phu Kao mountain there is a place to form a "linga" shape and this position has become a spiritual position and is considered a place of god's abode. The Mekong River flows through the area of ​​Wat Phoi Temple which is considered as an ocean (or the Ganges River in myths). The temple is seen as a human offering to the god Siva. Wat Phou is also part of the Khmer empire with central Angkor located in the southwest. The following century, the city of Shrestapura was replaced by a new city in the Angkor period. The temples were built primarily during the reigns of Koh Ker and Baphuon, in the 11th century. They continued to be restored and built more in the next two centuries and leaned toward the Hinayana Buddhism. When the area was under Laotian control, the construction and completion of the temple continued.

Like most Khmer temples, Wat Phou faces east and lies at the foot of a mountain, the beginning of a stream - a distinctive design in Khmer style . A few kilometers east of the temple is a city where there are many temples with Angkor architecture. This ancient city has no more traces, only a lake remains, along the axis of the temple complex of Wat Phou. Until now sacred water taken from the lake is still used to bathe the statues during the ceremony.

The architecture of Wat Phou bears the appearance of Angkor culture , the walls surrounding the temple are built of laterite, and the interior wall of the temple is built of sandstone. The most valuable portions of Wat Phou Temple are the carved reliefs on the wall with the designs of Angkor culture.

Besides, Wat Phou temple still has traces of an ancient library, historians say that this place is probably a place to store Hindu-related documents and books. In addition, there are some other sculptures in the north of the temple: Buddha footprints on the cliff face , rocks shaped like elephants and a crocodile. In the ancient documents of the Chinese people recorded: The temple of Wat Phou used to exist in a secular state, taking virgin blood to give to the gods, this sacrifice is held every year. However, up to now, there has been no evidence to prove this practice.