A Wat Phou Photo Gallery

December 21, 2023

Rest Day in Champasak

Wat Phou is five kilometers south of the tiny town of Champasak, Laos and is one thousand years old. There is of course Angkor Wat and its complex of ancient temples much to the south in Cambodia and Wat Phou is a contemporary since the reign of those Khmer kings stretched far and wide. But, there are also the remains of an ancient town near the Mekong not far from Wat Phou that predate the Angkor era by as much as six hundred years. Not much is known about the town, however an inscription mentions a sanctuary built on the hill. This means that this site is possibly the oldest religious site in SE Asia.

It was probably considered sacred, because of the springs near the top of the mountain. When the Angkor era came along, which was Hindu based, they first saw the natural linga (phallic shaped rock formation) at the summit of the adjacent mountain, Phou Kao. A natural lingam (placed there by God) plus a spring!! Obviously they were signs that a temple must be built there. [A linga is the phallic symbol of Shiva.]

Wat Phou is one of my favorite places because the temple is more an incorporation of nature than physical buildings. If anything, the walkway and stone steps up the side of the mountain IS the temple. The walkway, which faces east, is lined with enormous, gnarled frangipani trees, bigger than any I've ever seen. I have no idea how old they are but I wouldn't be surprised to learn that they are hundreds of years old.

At the top, instead of a massive temple complex there is just a little square, unimposing building, now taken over by Buddha statues inside. Behind it the massive rock face and spring which bubbles up from beneath it, along with the lingam on top of the adjacent mountain visible for miles around, are the most sacred things about Wat Phou. The view from the top alone is sacred. And the Mekong River can be seen in the distance. It seems to me the site is purely a celebration of nature. Birds, all around, confirm it.

This is our third visit to Wat Phou and I never get tired of being there. To walk up the many steps on the ancient and shifting blocks of stone is a meditation. Frangipani flowers fall at your feet, you are far from any vehicle noise and everyone making their way up the stones all seem to feel the peaceful energy. It's one of those places.