Wat Pak Ou

The structure of many old temples built in Southeast Asia had an astrological base to their design and construction. These temples, including all the state mountain temples of Angkor, were built to represent the universe and its astronomical bodies. Like most Southeast Asian countries, the Lao adopted these Brahman astrological and cosmological concepts from the ancient Khmer. The aspect of the position of the sun and its movement into Aries as well as the 12-year cycle in conjunction with the 12 astrological signs of the zodiac are hidden in the construction, design and motifs of Lao local temples. On the western bank of the Mae Khong River opposite the famous cave of Tam Ting is Wat Pak Ou.