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The temple complex of Vat Phou was begun as early as the 7th
century AD, though its present form dates mostly from the 11th
and 12th centuries. Converted from Hinduism to Buddhism in the
13th century AD, Vat Phou still plays an important role in local
religious life today.
Of all the Khmer temples, Vat Phou is considered one of the most
beautiful because of its setting. The temple complex measures
1,400 meters in a line running east to west up the lower part of
Phou Khao Mountain. It was built over the course of several
centuries, beginning in the 7th century. The Khmer rulers
continued to maintain the temple through the 14th century, even
after they had moved the capital from the Champasak area to
Angkor in present day Cambodia, which is why so much more
remains of Vat Phou than of the other sites in the vicinity. Most
of what can be seen today dates from the 11th century.
The temple is built on six different levels or terraces, connected
by steps and a central walkway. Most are man-made, but the
uppermost level is a natural terrace where a spring flows out of
the mountain. Standing structures within the temple complex
include baray, quadrangles, Nandin hall, small pavilions, brick
towers, stairways and the main shrine. The main shrine was
dedicated to Shiva. Inside, where today there is a statue of the
Lord Buddha, there would have been a Shiva linga. Converted
from Hinduism to Buddhism in the 13th century AD, Vat Phou
still plays an important role in local religious life today.
 | | Although a partial ruin, the main shrine holds great
significance for local devotees, who continue a 1500-
year-old religious tradition of devotion to the "god who
is teh mountain". |
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