Wat Phia Wat ( lo, ວັດເພຍວັດ) is a

Buddhist Buddhism ( , ), also known as Buddha Dharma and Dharmavinaya (), is an Indian religion or philosophical tradition based on teachings attributed to the Buddha. It originated in northern India as a -movement in the 5th century BCE, and ...

wat A wat ( km, វត្ត, ; lo, ວັດ, ; th, วัด, ; khb, 「ᩅᨯ᩠ᨰ」(waD+Dha); nod, 「ᩅ᩠ᨯ᩶」（w+Da2)) is a type of Buddhist temple and Hindu temple in Cambodia, Laos, East Shan State, Yunnan, the Southern Provi ...

in Khoune district,

Laos Laos (, ''Lāo'' )), officially the Lao People's Democratic Republic ( Lao: ສາທາລະນະລັດ ປະຊາທິປະໄຕ ປະຊາຊົນລາວ, French: République démocratique populaire lao), is a socialist ...

Overview

Wat Phiat Wat is located in Muang Khoun, the former capital of

Muang Phuan Meuang Phuan ( Lao: ເມືອງພວນ; Country of Phuan) or Xieng Khouang (Lao: ຊຽງຂວາງ), also known historically to the Vietnamese as Trấn Ninh ( Hán Việt: 鎮寧; lit. "securement of peace"), was a historical principal ...

in the 14th century. What Phia Wat is said to be constructed in 1322 by Chao Lan Kham Khong, in order to house the first Buddhist statue in

Xiangkhouang Xiangkhouang (Lao alphabet, Lao: wikt:ຊຽງຂວາງ, ຊຽງຂວາງ, meaning 'Horizontal City') is a province of Laos on the Xiangkhoang Plateau, in the nation's northeast. The province has the distinction of being the most heavi ...

, which was brought over from

Burma Myanmar, ; UK pronunciations: US pronunciations incl. . Note: Wikipedia's IPA conventions require indicating /r/ even in British English although only some British English speakers pronounce r at the end of syllables. As John Wells explai ...

. In 1375, invading Chinese forces destroyed the complex and cut off the arm of the Buddha statue, but the Wat was later rebuild. In 1953, Wat Phia Wat was again destroyed during the

First Indochina War The First Indochina War (generally known as the Indochina War in France, and as the Anti-French Resistance War in Vietnam) began in French Indochina from 19 December 1946 to 20 July 1954 between France and Việt Minh (Democratic Republic of Vi ...

, but rebuild in 1954. Finally, the Wat was bombed by the US airforce during the

Second Indochina War The Vietnam War (also known by #Names, other names) was a conflict in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. It was the second of the Indochina Wars and was officially fought between North Vie ...

. Wat Phia Wat collapsed, but the Buddha statue still survives, although suffering significant damage. A new temple was created after the war.

Gallery

File:20171115 Wat Phiawat in Muang Khoun 2605 DxO.jpg File:20171115 Wat Phiawat in Muang Khoun 2610 DxO.jpg File:20171115 Wat Phiawat in Muang Khoun 2614 DxO.jpg File:20171115 Wat Phiawat in Muang Khoun 2619 DxO.jpg File:Wat phiawat.jpg File:WatPiawat.JPG

References

Buddhist temples in Laos Buildings and structures in Xiangkhouang province 14th-century Buddhist temples {{Buddhist-temple-stub