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Attractions
around Pakse
Wat Phou
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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