Wat Phou, which means "temple mountain" in Lao, is a ruined Khmer temple complex in southern Laos.

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Vat Phou or Wat Phu, which means "temple mountain" in Lao, 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 Champasak province. There was a temple on the site as early as the 5th century, but the surviving structures that can be seen today 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 center of Theravada Buddhist worship which it remains today.

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Size: 5616px × 3744px
Location: Champasak, Laos
Photo credit: © John Lander / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No

Keywords: ancient, archeological, archeology, carved, carving, champasak, heritage, lao, laos, laotian, phou, phu, rocks, rublle, ruin, ruins, site, stone, stones, unesco, vat, wat, world