The temple is located at the foot of Mount Khao (1397 m), on the east side, 6 km from the Mekong River, which symbolizes the ocean or the Ganges, south of the city of Tyampatsak in the province of Champasak. The temple complex of Wat Phu occupies an impressive area (84 hectares) at the foot of the mountain, which is sacred among the Hindus, since it has the form of a lingam (male principle). The complex is facing the river.
Wat Phu was originally associated with the city of Shrestapura on the banks of the Mekong River east of Lingaparwata Mountain, which later became known as Khao. In the second half of the 5th century, the city was already the capital of a kingdom associated with the states of Chenla and Champa, around this time the first temple buildings were built on the mountain.
The temple was dedicated to Shiva, and the waters of the river under the temple were considered sacred. In this temple, masters honed their skills, spent time in meditation, and according to some scholars, the temple was also used for human sacrifice.
At least during the reign of Yashovarman I in the 10th century, Wat Phu was already part of the Khmer Empire with the capital Angkor. Shrestapura has moved to a new city south of the temple. Later, the buildings were rebuilt, with some of the stone blocks of the original temples being used. The temple that has survived to this day was built during the Koh Ker and Baphuon periods of the 11th century. When the empire adopted Theravada Buddhism, the temple complex was slightly rebuilt.
In the 12-13th century, the Khmers adopted Buddhism and the temple was re-qualified as Buddhist. Now, all over the sanctuary you can see the placed statues of Buddha, but they are not as remarkable as, for example, in the Chinese pagodas.
Promotional video:
The huge territory of the complex is filled with wonderful and memorable things in addition to temples and palaces, here you can see the footprint of the Buddha, an image in the shape of an elephant, a crocodile stone and many other entertaining sculptures.
The temple complex of Wat Phu was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2001.