Laos to list ancient temple as heritage site

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ศาสตร์เกษตรดินปุ๋ย : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation

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Vientiane Times   WED, 13 JAN, 2016 7:06 PM

Borikhamxay provincial authorities plan to list Vat Phabath-Phonsan as an official heritage site, hoping to attract tourists and researchers interested in Buddhist and architectural history. The temple is believed to date back more than 1,000 years.

The authorities will officially declare the temple as a cultural heritage site on January 22, to coincide with the Vat Phabath-Phonsan festival, Director of the provincial Information, Culture and Tourism Department, Mr Khene Lomany, told Vientiane Times yesterday.

The Vat Phabath-Phonsan festival takes place every year from January 20-23 and a week prior to the festival there is a trade fair to showcase the province’s One District, One Product goods, along with cultural performances.

Mr Khene said the provincial authorities proposed listing the temple as a heritage site to the Heritage Department under the Ministry of Information, Culture and Tourism at the end of 2015.

Officials from the provincial Information, Culture and Tourism Department, Heritage Department and Fine Arts Department worked together to collect information and prepare to declare Vat Phabath-Phonsan as a cultural heritage site.

When the temple is listed as such, the department will register ancient and sacred objects and the temple itself to better protect and manage them, and also print brochures describing the history of the temple.

Borikhamxay province also plans to ask the ministry to list Vat Phabath-Phonsan as a national cultural heritage site.

However, the province needs to obtain funding from the government, businesses and international organisations to ensure preparation work is completed on time, Mr Khene said.

Borikhamxay is the first province to declare a cultural attraction as a heritage site, with some provinces also planning to declare natural and culture tourist sites as heritage sites.

According to the tourismlaos website, Vat Phabath-Phonsan overlaps Road No.13 South near Na village. In 1993, locals discovered a 2.4 x 1.2 metre Buddha footprint, and built Vat Phabath around it.

Devotees make merit by placing gold leaf on the phabath (Buddha footprint), and every year in mid-January the temple holds a festival to pay homage to the phabath.

The adjoining Phonsan stupa sits on sprawling green Mekong Riverside grounds, and is believed to be a sacred place where Buddha once took his meals.

The stupa is also known for the annual Naga rocket festival during October’s full moon, when theMekong launches mysterious coloured fireballs.

Currently Borikhamxay has 68 natural, cultural and historical tourist sites.

In 2015, the number of tourist arrivals increased from 200,000 to more than 300,000 people.

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