This Wat
is the most important attraction of South Laos, although it is
not Laotian in origin. Wat Phou was built by the Khmer.
Despite of
being smaller, Wat Phou can be compared to Angkor. Not
only has it been built in the same style; it also exudes the same
atmosphere of an ancient city lost in the jungles for uncounted
centuries. While the structures themselves are overpowering, it's
the jungle overgrowth that creates a particular charm, at Angkor
as well as Wat Phou. The Wat has stood unused for centuries because
it has been built as a Hindu, not a Buddhist temple.
Wat Phou
is older than Angkor. It was founded in the first decades of the
9th century by Jayavarman II, the first king of an independent
Khmer nation. Before Jayavarman II, the Khmer were ruled
by the Javanese (Indonesians). For some time Wat Phou served Jayavarman
II as Khmer capital.
Though Jayavarman
II soon moved his government to the Angkor plain, Wat Phou remained
an important pilgrim's destination for the entire Angkor era (about
600 years).
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