Pha That Luang Stupa in Vientiane, Laos

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Thanks I'm from Laos

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Pha That Luang is a gold-covered large Buddhist stupa in the centre of Vientiane, Laos. Since its initial establishment, suggested to be in the 3rd century, the stupa has undergone several reconstructions as recently as the 1930s due to foreign invasions of the area. It is generally regarded as the most important national monument in Laos and a national symbol. Pha That Luang according to the Lao people was originally built as a Hindu temple in the 3rd century. It was rebuilt in the 13th century as a Khmer temple which fell into ruin. In the mid-16th century, the capital was relocated from Luang Prabang to Vientiane and the king ordered the construction of Pha That Luang in 1566. In 1641, a Dutch envoy of the Dutch East India Company visited Vientiane. He wrote that he was particularly impressed by the "enormous pyramid and the top was covered with gold leaf weighing about a thousand pounds". However, the stupa was repeatedly plundered by the Burmese, Siamese and Chinese. Pha That Luang was destroyed by the Thai invasion in 1828, which left it heavily damaged and left abandoned. It was not until 1900 that the French restored to its original design based on a detailed drawings from 1867. However the first attempt to restore it was unsuccessful and it had to be redesigned and then reconstructed in the 1930s. During the Franco-Thai War, Pha That Luang was heavily damaged during a Thai air raid. After the end of World War II, Pha That Luang was reconstructed. The architecture of the building includes many references to Lao culture and identity, and so has become a symbol of Lao nationalism. The stupa today consists of three levels, each conveying a reflection of part of the Buddhist doctrine. Pha That Luang Stupa in #Vientiane, #Laos: kzbin.info/www/bejne/opKke6mAbbqKla8