A few of the officials joined in the parades that were designed to depict the culture and traditions of people living in Champasak and the other southern Laos provinces. Musical performances and a parade by local high school pupils were the other main events in the opening celebration.
The ruins of the 1,000-year-old Vat Phou complex are a UNESCO listed World Heritage Site. They were included on the UNESCO list in 2001 and the modern-day festival honours this landmark year. The Khmer-Hindu structures are in a pristine rural area of Champasak Province which is about 40kms south of the city of Pakse.
Vat Phou is an easy day excursion for tourists in Pakse. Pakse is the last major city on the overland route down to Si Phan Don (Four Thousand Islands) and Cambodia too.
Annual festival celebrates heritage of south Laos UNESCO temple
News in Asia
Colourful ceremonies at the weekend marked the start of the annual heritage festival at one of the best-known temples in Laos. Senior Lao government officials and local dignitaries presiding over the ceremonies and parades that kicked off the annual festival on Saturday.