Those days in Laos (XLV)

One by one, we visited the temple of Vapu in the rain

From the coffee plantation, we visited a modern agricultural vegetable farm in Thongsay Village, Pakseong District, Pakseong City. After that we viewed the Bason Waterfall.

The last stop of the tour was Vapu Temple.

It was raining when we viewed the waterfalls in Bason, and on the way to Vapu Temple, it rained even more, the road was not good, and our car walked for more than an hour. Heavy rain along the way makes the heart clenched, as if God intends to prevent us from going, deliberately creating trouble for our journey.

The Temple of Champasavapu is a well-known attraction in Laos and was inscribed on the World Heritage List in 2001. It is an ancient Khmer style religious complex. It is somewhat small compared to Angkor Wat, however the Vapu Temple, which stretches for 1400 meters and is hidden under the sheltering trees, has its own unique charm.

The Wapu Temple and the associated ancient dwellings are collectively known as the Champasak Cultural Landscape.

The Mekong River flows through the territory of Champasak Province and is one of the two sections that serve as the inland river of Laos.

Champasak Province is located on the west bank of the Mekong River about 500 kilometers southeast of Vientiane, the capital of Laos. Between the Phu Kao mountain range and the Mekong River, there are numerous temples, water facilities, homes, quarries, ruins and monuments, as well as an ancient road to Angkor.

Wapu Temple, bordered by the Phu Kao mountain range to the west and the Mekong River to the east, is an important cultural landscape on the Champasak plain. [1]

I felt like I was following the Mekong River all the way.

A World Heritage Site, the Vapu Temple and associated ancient dwellings reflect an overview of the cultural development of Laos as represented by the Khmer Empire in ancient times.

The Wapu Temple within the Champasak Cultural Landscape is a famous ancient Buddhist temple in Laos, which the Laotians compare to the Angkor Wat Temple in Cambodia as two of the great Indochinese monuments.

In 2001, Vaipu Temple and related ancient houses in Champasak Cultural Landscape were approved by UNESCO World Heritage Committee to be inscribed on the World Heritage List as cultural heritage according to criteria (iii) (iv) (vi) of the selection criteria for cultural heritage.

Criterion (iii): The Wat Phu temple is a unique historical testimony to the multiculturalism of Southeast Asia, highlighting the historical and cultural development of the Khmer Empire, which ruled the region from the 10th to the 14th centuries A.D.

Criterion (iv): The Wat Phu temple is an example of a symbolic cultural landscape that blends seamlessly into the natural environment of the area;

Criterion (vi): The Wat Phu temple is a perfect example of the integration of a symbolic cultural landscape with the natural environment of the area;

Criteria for Selection Criterion (vi): The magnificent complex of Vapu Temples and its associated outbuildings, built on a vast site, surrounded by mountains and water, is a subtle expression of the traditional concept of celestial-human relationship in ancient Indian civilization. The Vapu Temples are rich in artistic masterpieces, all of which are based on the theme of religious conversion and devotion.

The Chambasai Cultural Landscape, including the Vapu temple complex, is a human cultural landscape that has remained intact for more than 1,000 years. The Chambasai Cultural Landscape, with an axis from the top of the hill to the river bank, has a series of temples, shrines and water facilities built in a neat and planned manner in a radius of 10 kilometers, which perfectly expresses the cultural concept of celestial-human relationship in the ancient Indian civilization. The Champasak Cultural Landscape also includes two cultural cities on both sides of the Mekong River and Phu Khao San, reflecting an overview of the cultural development of Laos, represented by the Khmer Empire, from the 5th to the 15th centuries AD. [2][1]

There was a brief lull in the rain as we entered the Vaipu Temple viewpoint, and it was raining again before we could get on the pendulum.

Wapu Laotian means "stone temple", is located at an altitude of 1200 meters in the Phu Gao mountainside, the scale of the magnificent, the building complex from the mountainside downward stretch, up to hundreds of meters long, all carved with a variety of patterns of stone masonry. Due to the construction of the project is not fully completed, and over the years in disrepair, now in addition to a more complete Buddha Hall, the rest are all broken walls, only remains.

Wapu Temple is mainly divided into three areas: the Divine Path, the square temple corridor site, the main temple, the Buddha Hall, inlaid statues and so on.

The first area into the scenic area is the east-west length of 300 meters, north-south width of 200 meters of the small lake, people called "sacred lake". The center of the lake west of the water pavilion, there are bridges connecting the west bank. The western end of the lake has three temple ruins.

Between the "Holy Lake" and the Divine Word, is the Laos Dynasty, two Cuiwei Palace ruins, has now collapsed, but from the scale of the remains, you can imagine the momentum of the year. On the site there are stone people and stone beasts, mostly mutilated, scattered in the weeds and barren wood.

The sacred path is about 300 meters, along the top line, see a lot of carvings have been mutilated, individual scattered on the side of the road.

In front of us is a second area of square temple gallery ruins.

These are two square temple porches for Hindu rituals, built in the sixth century A.D. with large stone blocks. Although they have collapsed, the carvings on the doorposts, lintels and corners of the walls are still clearly recognizable.

After the sacrificial temple gallery, there is a 300-meter stone avenue and stone stairway leading to the last area on the hillside: the main temple.

The only well-preserved part of the main temple is the Buddha Hall, which is built on a flat slope between two caves under a huge rock called the "roof of the sacred house". The inner and outer stone walls are carved with beautiful images of Hanuman's battle against the demons and other stories based on folk myths, and the carvings are exquisite and magnificent, and the statues are delicate and vivid. Inside the temple, there are several statues of Buddha, one of which is quite tall. Buddha Hall outside the wall of the inlaid Buddha statues remain intact, the demeanor of its forced.

On the 3rd floor of the temple, there is a stone statue of King Piyekamata of Champasakha, the builder of the Vapu temple.

There is a mysterious footprint at the back of the Buddha Buddha Temple, which is strangely well preserved.

Anyone who has been to Laos knows that the Lao people have a traditional festival called the Vapu Festival, which is said to commemorate the building of the Vapu Temple and the merits of King Phiyekamata. Every year, from late January to early February, people have to hold a grand temple fair in Vaipu Temple, in addition to the solemn religious ceremonies held during the festival, there are many folk entertainment activities such as elephant races, horse races, bullfighting and cockfighting, and so on.

The construction of the temple came from the victory or defeat of a war

The construction of the Vaipu temple has a deep connection with the history of Laos. In 1235 A.D., a war broke out between Laos and Thailand, in which the Laotian army broke through the Thai defenses. The Laotian army broke through the Thai defenses and surrounded the Thai fortress of Namche. Unexpectedly, the Thai fortress of Nan Shi was easy to defend and hard to attack, the Laotian army could not attack for a long time. After dozens of days of resistance, both sides suffered heavy casualties and paid a heavy price. King Champasakpiyekhamatha of Laos and Queen Nakhonpolu of Thailand, seeing that it was difficult to decide between victory and defeat, held peace talks. In the end, it was decided that each side would build a stupa and whoever completed it first would be the winner of the battle. This plan was actually agreed upon by both sides. The result of the contest was that the pagoda built by the Queen of Thailand was completed in mid-July of that year, thus becoming the victor of this marvelous war. The Laotian army complied and immediately withdrew from Thai territory and the war ended in this peace. However, King Champasakpiyekhamatha died soon after, and the Laotians decided to finish the unfinished pagoda in honor of King Champasakpiyekhamatha's patriotic spirit, and one year later, this famous ancient Buddhist temple in Laos was finally completed, which is the Vaipu Temple.

Because of the long history, people have no way to prove the exact age of the construction of the Vapu temple, about the age of the construction of the Vapu temple there are three kinds of statements, one said for the 7th century, one said for the 11th century, one said for the 13th century, people are more generally recognized is the last statement.

Vapu Festival related to the temple

People who have been to Laos know that the Lao people have a traditional festival called Vapu Festival, which is said to be set up to commemorate the construction of Vapu Temple and the merits of King Gyekamata. Every year, from late January to early February, people have to hold a grand temple fair in the Vapu temple, in addition to the grand religious ceremonies held during the festival, there are many folk entertainment activities such as elephant races, bullfighting and cockfighting, and so on. [1]

The end of the tour, the rain also stopped, the sky is still cloudy, like our mood, remembering the history, feeling the present, when the world can be peaceful, forever epidemic, forever war.

References

[1] World Heritage Site - Wapu Temple and related ancient dwellings within the cultural landscape of Champasak. /www.71.cn/2015/0129/790493.shtml [

[2] Vat Phou and Associated Ancient Settlements within the Champasak Cultural Landscape./whc.unesco. org/en/list/481