Wat Phou (UNESCO World Heritage Site)

Laos / Champasak /
 temple, UNESCO World Heritage Site

Wat Phou (Vat Phu) is a ruined Khmer temple complex in southern Laos. It is located at the base of mount Phu Kao, some 6 km from the Mekong river in Champassak province. There was a temple on the site as early as the 5th century, but the surviving structures date from the 11th to 13th centuries. The temple has a unique structure, in which the elements lead to a shrine where a linga was bathed in water from a mountain spring. The site later became a centre of Theravada Buddhist worship, which it remains today.
Nearby cities:
Coordinates:   14°50'55"N   105°49'14"E
This article was last modified 16 years ago