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Vat Phou Asa is an important archeological site located in Champasak Province, Xe Pian National Protected Area. The temple can be reached from Kiet Ngong Village by climbing Phou Asa Mountain by either foot or elephant back. The temple is one of the most important religious sites in the area and is worshiped every year by the local people during the Elephant & Vat Phou Asa Festival For details on visiting Vat Phou Asa click here
Brief History of Phou Asa Temple
By: Thongsa Sayavongkhamdy
Translation by Ms. Sai Rattanavong.
Vat Phou Asa is an important archeological site in terms of its historical and architectural values. This site was once the center of the Buddhist faith for the local followers and was also a stronghold of the Lao ethnic and minority groups in resistance of the feudal lords that reigned the Champasak Kingdom at that time.
The history of Vat Phou Asa is mentioned in the Story of Khun Borom that contains the origin myths of the Tai people and in the version of the Lao chronicles written by Sila Viravong (the History of Laos) published in 1966. The story told about a monk named Sa who went to Siam (Thailand at that time) to study. After his education and many years in Siam he returned to his homeland (the present Kiet Ngong village). On his return he had brought with him a magnifying glass. He later called upon the villagers to gather around and watch the magic he could do with his magnifying glass. The monk put the glass over some dried leaves in the sun to capture the sun's ray; after a little while the leaves started to ignite into flames, which created much amazement among the people. Because the villagers' lack of education and understanding of the fundamental laws of physics at the time, they believed that Sa was a special born person and accorded the monk with a lot of respect. They started to worship him by bringing flowers, incense and candles and after awhile a mountain of worshiping goods was created.
In the feudal society at that time, Monk Sa realized that the people in the village were being exploited and treated cruelly by landlords. They were forced into laborious work and also paid heavy taxes. Monk Sa decided to gather the villagers to fight against feudal lords.
In 1815 in preparation for the fight, Monk Sa took the people up to a sacred place which was a temple ground high up on a mountain. The villagers called this place Phou Ai Sa (literally meaning 'Brother Sa Mountain') and this site was where the villagers got their warfare training such as sword fighting, horse riding, elephant riding and some martial arts skills.
The architectural structure around Phou Asa is a unique one. Aside from its high above-ground setting, there is a protective wall around the temple, which is doted with mushroom-like pillars. Inside the temple wall there is a stupa and a temple hall. Nearby, outside the wall there is cave that is filled with Buddha images of different sizes.
After a year of much preparation and training on top of Phou Asa, Monk Sa led the people's army to fight the Governor of Champasak, which brought them victory and allowed them to take over the capital. The defeat of the Governor of Champasak was brought to the attention of the King of Siam who soon sent an army led by noblemen and Lord Senekham to fight the people's army. The disadvantage of a smaller army and technologically-backward weapons resulted in a big defeat by the people's army. They had to retreat their people to Phou Paya in the southern province of Attapeu. Nonetheless, the uprising by the people's army set a valuable lesson for the generations after to work together to fight those who oppressed them.
According to the Prime Minister's Decree Number 174 dated 13 November 1993, the Government of Lao PDR declared Vat Phou Asa a National Heritage Site. The site has become a significant archeological site for the District of Phatoumphone, Champassak Province. It is also an important tourist attraction which brings in steady income to the local people.
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