In the south of Laos, in Champasak Province near the Cambodian border, some 200 km from Angkor Wat and about a one hour drive from Pakse on a good road, is the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Wat Phou.

 It is an exceptional archeological site originating in the 6th century and thriving until the 15th Century. Its influences come from Khmer, Hindu, and Buddhist traditions that blend elegantly in its architectural, ritualistic, and artistic designs.
Construction on what we see today as Vat Phou started around 1000AD, and bears clear visions of Hinduism. Taking advantage of a natural axis from Phou Kao Mountain - from which flows a natural spring that is still considered sacred nowadays - to the Mekong River, the ancient khmers designed a geometric pattern of temples, shrines, and man-made waterways.
The deliberately chosen location of Vat Phou along an east – west axis, is coupled with the fact that the peak of Phou Kao Mountain is shaped like a lingam. Such a phallic shape is usually associated with the Hindu God Shiva, as is the worship of the rising sun, hence the east – west alignment of the temple.
After centuries of lying in ruin, hidden within the jungle, a French explorer, Henri Pamentier, rediscovered Wat Phou in 1914. After photographing the site, it once again disappeared form the world’s consciousness.
Interest resurrected itself again in the mid 1980’s when UNESCO initiated an archaeological survey of the site. This survey led to heritage legislation being implemented, with the conferring of protected status being given to the site in 2001.
Reconstruction and renovations have begun in the hope of restoring Vat Phou to its original magnificence.

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