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Vat Phou
| UNESCO World Heritage Site | |
|---|---|
 Causeway, looking towards the sanctuary | |
| Location | Champasak Province, Laos |
| Criteria | Cultural: (iii)(iv)(vi) |
| Reference | 481 |
| Inscription | 2001 (25th Session) |
| Area | 39,000 ha (96,000 acres) |
| Coordinates | 14°50′54″N 105°49′20″E / 14.84833°N 105.82222°E |
  Location of Vat Phou in Laos | |
Vat Phou (or Vat Phu; Lao: ວັດພູ [wāt pʰúː] temple-mountain) is a ruined Khmer-Hindu temple complex with Champa influences in southern Laos and one of the oldest places of worship in Southeast Asia. It is at the base of mount Phou Khao, some 6 kilometres (3.7 mi) from the Mekong in Champasak province.
There was a sanctuary on the site, centred on a sacred spring and an offering place for a mighty tutelary sprit dating back to pre-historic times. The first megalithic stone structures had been built probably as early as the second century BCE, consisting of two stone cells, a carving of a crocodile, serpent stairs, and several offering platforms.[1] One of the first pre-Angkor brick buildings onsite was erected in the early 7th century and became the focus of all consequent building activities.[1] Most of the other surviving buildings date from the Angkor period, in the 11th—13th centuries.
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