World Heritage Sites in Laos


Luang Prabang Town (1995)
Luang Prabang Town is located in north central Laos, on the Mekong River and noticed for its special form of urban development, partly traditional Lao and partly colonial. This 19th and 20th century devolpments have resulted in a blended townscape that has been well-preserved. Luang Prabang originated as a defended royal administrative complex, with adjacent temples and monasteries. Until the communist takeover in 1975, it was the royal capital and seat of government of the Kingdom of Laos.


Vat Phou (Wat Phu) and Champasak Cultural Landscape (2001)
Vat Phou and Associated Ancient Settlements within the Champasak Cultural Landscape is a ruined Khmer Hindu temple complex interacting with its natural surroundings. The whole was created within a geometric framework linking man-made works with natural phenomena, notably the summit of Phou Kao and the river Mekong.The landscape is located in southern Laos. There was a temple on the site as early as the 5th century, but the surviving structures date from the 11th to 13th centuries. The temple has a unique structure, in which the elements lead to a shrine where a linga was bathed in water from a mountain spring. The site later became a centre of Theravada Buddhist worship, which it remains today.