Ancient temple in Laos gets makeover
THE renovation of Wat Muang Kang in the southern Lao province of Champasak has begun in a bid to preserve the centuries-old temple and make it more attractive to visitors.
The temple, also known as Wat Phut t hava na ra m, was built in the early 1950s – a few years after Muang Kang v illage i n Champasa k dist r ict was est abl i shed, a v i l lage resident told Vientiane Times recent ly.
Located just over 53km from the Cambodian border at its closest point and about 8km south of Champasak town, the temple has a long history and is respected not only by resident s but by Buddhist s throughout the country.
The temple is thought to be the oldest active temple in Laos. The impressive monastery comprises five buildings which are a mix of colonial, Vietnamese, and traditional Lao styles with influences from Siamese and Cambodian architecture.
The book repository (hor tripidok) and the meeting hall (hor jaek) were built in the Vietnamese style with a colonial influence.
The t wo monk residences ( k ut i) a re i n t he t radit iona l Lao st yle, wit h one built from hardwood and the other constructed using strips of bamboo coated w it h mud a nd catt le dung.
The five buildings have retained their original character, while the roofs were made using techniques rarely found nowadays. The book repository is a mix of Chinese and French styles combined with traditional Lao architecture and was made by Vietnamese craftsmen.
Its three-tiered roof has a colourful mosaic in the corner and a small crystal window at the centre of the top roof ridge, reminiscent of ancient Myanmar-style architecture. The cr ystal-sided box contains Buddha images.
The prov inces of southern Laos have numerous tourist at t r ac t ion s , bot h nat u r e - ba sed a nd h i stor ic a l . Ju st nor t h of Ca mbodia’s Prea h Vihear and Stung Treng provinces, Champasa k is one of t hese prov inces and no one should miss a chance to v isit t his scen ic reg ion dur i ng a stay in Laos.
Champasak has 216 officially designated tourist sites, including 116 that are naturebased, 60 places of cultural interest and 40 historical sites, but only 20 have special visitor facilities.
Among the natural wonders are Khonphapheng, Tad Fan a nd Tad Yua ng water fa l ls. Act iv it ies for tour ist s ra nge f rom advent u re t rek s a nd z ipl i ni ng to rest a nd rec uperation in t he lap of nature. Visitors ca n a lso enjoy produce from t he fertile Bolaven Plateau, including its famed cof fee.