Among the 18 World Heritage Sites in the Greater Mekong Sub-region, Wat Phu of Laos

is the third oldest site, following the Pyu Cities of Myanmar and My Son Sanctuary of Vietnam.
Through this temple, people across the Sub-region certainly find their spirit and their knowledge
connect to each other.
Built between the 5th and the 15th century, Wat Phu was constructed as a Hindu temple,
but transformed into a Buddhist temple later in the 13th century. This transformation from Hindu
to Buddhism reflects across five countries in the Sub-region. Myanmar, Laos, Thailand, and
Cambodia were once Hindu states and become Buddhist in later periods. Even the predecessor
state of Vietnam, Champa Kingdom, was also a Hindu state. In this way, this temple provides a
spiritual connection for people across the sub-region.
The walls of the temple depict Devatas, Apsaras, Dvarapala, and Kalas. We see Vishnu on
Garuda, Krishna killing Kansa, Indra riding the three headed elephant Airavata, Krishna
defeating the Naga Kaliya, and many other Hindu stories. These are the stories that the Burmese,
Thai, Khmer, and Lao find familiar because these stories are the stories that their grandparents
narrate to them and the stories that they learn in their literature class.
Wat Phu can be considered as a World Heritage Site that represents cultural connectivity
in the Greater Mekong Sub-region. This temple represents cultural connectivity in the Greater
Mekong Sub-region through spiritual and knowledgeable way.