Vat Phou
Sign in to saveAlso known as Wat Phou, Kurukshetra tirtha (Laos, SE Asia), Vat Phū
Hindu temples complex and ruins in Laos (UNESCO site)
Key facts
- Location
- Champasak Province , Laos
- Criteria
- Cultural: (iii)(iv)(vi)
- Inscription
- 2001 (25th Session )
- Area
- 39,000 ha (96,000 acres)
via Wikipedia infobox
~7 min read
Encyclopedic overview
Vat Phou is a ruined Khmer-Hindu temple complex in southern Laos. There was a sanctuary on the site, centred on a spring and an offering place for a tutelary sprit dating back to pre-historic times. The first megalithic stone structures had been built probably as early as the second century BCE, consisting of two stone cells, a carving of a crocodile, serpent stairs, and offering platforms. One of the pre-Angkor brick buildings onsite was erected in the 7th century and became the focus of consequent building activities.
History
Excerpted from Wikipedia’s “Vat Phou” article, available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence.