'Pha That Lung', a large gold-covered Buddhist stupa is regarded as the most important monument and national symbol in which landlocked Asian country?
"tourists. The city contains many temples and Buddhist monuments. A popular attraction for foreign visitors is Pha That Luang, an important national cultural monument of Laos and one of its best known stupas. It was originally built in 1566 by King Setthathirath, and was restored in 1953. The golden stupa is 45 metres tall and is believed to contain a relic of the Lord Buddha. Another site that is also popular amongst tourists is Wat Si Muang. The temple was built on the ruins of a Khmer Hindu shrine, the remains of which can be seen behind the ordination hall."
"and a piece of skull said to belong to Buddha. Other temples built by Jajang also house relics. Bongjeongam hermitage is said to possess sarira from Gautama, while Sangwonsa houses bone setting relics. It is said that Korean emperor Huizong tried to sink a tooth relic at sea but was unable to do so. Pha That Luang is the most important national symbol of Laos. Buddhist missionaries from the Mauryan Empire are believed to have been sent by the Emperor Ashoka, including Bury Chan or Praya Chanthabury Pasithisak and five Arahata monks who brought a holy relic (believed to be"
"Christianity and represent a combined total of less than 2% of the population. Theravada Buddhism is central to Lao cultural identity. The national symbol of Laos is the That Luang stupa, a stupa with a pyramidal base capped by the representation of a closed lotus blossom which was built to protect relics of the Buddha. The shrine has been rebuilt several times since being created in the thirteenth century by the Khmer, with the largest expansions by King Setthathirath in the 1500s as part of a nationwide building campaign. Traditionally in Laos males would become novice monks at some point"
"1953 and now a national monument. Its golden stupa is high and the edifice is described as a ""gilded missile cluster"". The gold colored central image inside the stupa is in the shape of a curve of an extended Lotus bud. The annual That Luang Festival is held here in the twelfth waxing Lunar month as per the Buddhist Lunar Calendar, lasting for 7 days. Close to this stupa, there is also the Revolutionary Monument, a simple monument with starred pinnacles was built in memory of those killed in the revolutionary struggle between 1945 and 1975. The Lao National Museum,"
"most recognizable example, but would also include the That Phanom in Isan, Thailand, That Dam in Vientiane, and That Sikhottabong (""That Ing Hang"") in Thakhek. Lao stupas are characterized by a pyramidal base with an upward sloping spire which is elongated to represent a closed lotus blossom. The stupas are significant Buddhist sites of pilgrimage and are customarily built over important religious relics. Laos holds two UNESCO World Heritage Sites, and two tentative sites for their cultural and historic importance. Wat Phu is a proto-Khmer site located in Champassak Province, which is more than 1,000 years old. The temple was"
"began building the fortress Wiang Kum Kam as his new capital. Lamphun is host to one of northern Thailand's most important temples, Wat Phra That Hariphunchai, featured on the reverse of the one-satang coin. The ""phra that"" in the title indicates the presence of a Buddha relic, in this case one of his hairs, which was interred in the chedi in 897, which is probably the founding date of the wat. The town is surrounded by lush countryside punctuated by rice fields and orchards of the popular fruit, longan, which is celebrated in a festival every August. The town is"
"69 metres each and was 45 metres high, and was surrounded by 30 small Stupas. In 1641, a Dutch envoy of the Dutch East India Company, Gerrit van Wuysoff, visited Vientiane and was received by King Sourigna Vongsa at the temple, where he was, reportedly, received in a magnificent ceremony. 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"
"performances by various artists, and a fireworks display. A countdown clock was also placed at a nearby shopping mall and the Patuxay Monument in Vientiane. The logo of the 2009 Southeast Asian Games is the image of the Pha That Luang, the national landmark and shrine of Laos beside the Mekong River. The shrine represents Laos as the host of the 2009 Southeast Asian Games and the Lao Culture, Arts and History, whereas the Mekong River, resembled by three wavy lines below the shrine, represents the origin of life, culture and lifestyle of Lao people especially in sports. The river"
"Wat Phra That Lampang Luang Wat Phra That Lampang Luang () is a Lanna-style Buddhist temple in Lampang in Lampang Province, Thailand. The first element, ""phra that"", means Buddha relic (from ""phra"" which is an honorific and ""that"" which means relic). The word Luang comes from ในหลวง (Nai Luang), one way of referring to the Thai King, and indicates that the monument was sponsored by His Majesty, usually for reconstruction or refurbishment. The temple is said to enshrine a relic of the Buddha. Such relics are typically bones and ashes believed to be gathered after the Buddha's cremation. The relic"
"the islands. In 1225, China's Zhao Rugua, a superintendent of maritime trade in Fukien province wrote the book entitled ""Zhu Fan Zhi"" () in which he described trade with a country called Ma-i in the island of Mindoro in Luzon,(pronounced ""Ma-yi"") which was a prehispanic Philippine state. In it he said: The gold statue of the deity Tara is the most significant Buddhist artifact. In the Vajrayana Buddhist tradition, Tara symbolizes the Absolute in its emptiness as the wisdom heart’s essence that finds its expression through love and through compassion. The Vajrayana tradition also tells about the outpouring of the"
"trade with a country called Ma-i in the island of Mindoro in Luzon,(pronounced ""Ma-yi"") which was a prehispanic Philippine state. In it he said: The gold statue of the deity Tara is the most significant Buddhist artifact. In the Vajrayana Buddhist tradition, Tara symbolizes the Absolute in its emptiness as the wisdom heart's essence that finds its expression through love and through compassion. The Vajrayana tradition also tells about the outpouring of the human heart's compassion that manifests Tara and about the fascinating story of the Bodhisattva of Compassion shedding a tear out of pity for the suffering of all"
"Phra That Si Song Rak Phra That Si Song Rak (, literally ""the Stupa in Honour of Two Loves"";()Phra That Sri Song Hak in Lao, and varied other spellings) is a Buddhist stupa built in c. 1560 by Laotian and Thai kings. It is located on the Man River in Dan Sai district, Loei province of modern-day Thailand, from the modern Thailand-Laos border. The name means ""Stupa of Love from the Two Nations"". The ancient kingdoms of Lan Xang and Ayutthaya enjoyed a strong amount of common bond, and faced a common enemy (the Burmese). In c. 1556 the kings"
"documented Buddhist one in Vietnam. With Luy Lâu being an entrepot between China and India, Dâu Pagoda was the stopping point for both Northern (Mahayana) and Southern (Theravada) Buddhist pilgrims and monks. Dâu Pagoda consists of two small parallel structures and one even smaller on the right side. Architecturally, the Si Nhiêp Temple (photo) contains a number of important buildings in Vietnamese Buddhist art. At the center is a large three-story brick tower named Hoa Phong, built in 1737. Other historical pieces include stone and wooden statuaries, a number of which predates the 10th century. Dâu Pagoda hosts the annual"
"""Stone Statue of Five Goats in Yuexiu Hill"", a symbol of the host city. The opening and closing ceremonies were held along the Pearl River in Haixinsha Island, and was the first time in history that the opening ceremony for a major sports event was not held inside a stadium. The final medal tally was led by China, followed by South Korea and third place Japan. China set a new Games record with 199 gold medals. Three World and 103 Asian records were broken. In addition, the badminton men's singles gold medalist Lin Dan was voted as most valuable player"
"Wat Phra Kaew Wat Phra Kaew, commonly known in English as the Temple of the Emerald Buddha and officially as Wat Phra Si Rattana Satsadaram, is regarded as the most sacred Buddhist temple (wat) in Thailand. The Emerald Buddha housed in the temple is a potent religio-political symbol and the palladium (protective image) of Thai society. It is located in Phra Nakhon District, the historic centre of Bangkok, within the precincts of the Grand Palace. The main building is the central phra ubosot, which houses the statue of the Emerald Buddha. According to legend, this Buddha image originated in India"
"assist by storing boxes of items in their main prayer hall. Wat Chalong The most important of the 29 buddhist temples of Phuket is Wat Chalong () or formally Wat Chaiyathararam (), located in the Chalong Subdistrict, Mueang Phuket District. It is dedicated to two highly venerable monks, Luang Pho Chaem (หลวงพ่อแช่ม) and Luang Pho Chuang (หลวงพ่อช่วง), who led the citizens of Chalong Subdistrict fighting against the Chinese rebellion in 1876 and with their knowledge of herbal medicine helped the injured. The large market at Wat Chalong extends into the grounds of the temple and features amplified pop music and"
"Wat Chalong The most important of the 29 buddhist temples of Phuket is Wat Chalong () or formally Wat Chaiyathararam (), located in the Chalong Subdistrict, Mueang Phuket District. It is dedicated to two highly venerable monks, Luang Pho Chaem (หลวงพ่อแช่ม) and Luang Pho Chuang (หลวงพ่อช่วง), who led the citizens of Chalong Subdistrict fighting against the Chinese rebellion in 1876 and with their knowledge of herbal medicine helped the injured. The large market at Wat Chalong extends into the grounds of the temple and features amplified pop music and Thai-fighting advertisements. The temple sells trinkets to visitors and the monks"
"one of the main sights in the tourist resort town of Da Lat. The temple is particular popular among visitors, Buddhists and general tourists alike, particular in the spring. The large bell is reputed to be made from bronze alloyed with gold, that make it too heavy for would be robbers to carry away. The temple also has a variety of tea and coffee plants, which are tended by the sangha. Around 20 monks and around half a dozen novices live at the temple. Linh Sơn Pagoda Linh Sơn Pagoda (Chùa Linh Sơn) is a notable Buddhist temple in the"
"and Chiang Rai was proclaimed a province of Thailand in 1933. In 1432, during the reign of King Sam Fang Kaen of the Mangrai Dynasty (1402–1441), the Phra Kaeo, or Emerald Buddha, the most revered Buddha statue, was discovered in Chiang Rai when an earthquake split the chedi at Wat Phra Kaeo of Chiang Rai city. The beautiful jade figure was then seen concealed within. Another telling of the story has the ""Emerald Buddha"" hastily covered in mud just before marauders entered to pillage. Many years later, the clunky-looking mud Buddha was found to actually house a magnificent jade statue,"
"governor in 1909. Wat Phra Kaeo Don Tao Wat Phra Kaeo Don Tao (, literally ""monastery of the Emerald Buddha on the water jar knoll"") is the principal Buddhist temple in Lampang, Thailand. The temple was founded by the first Mon ruler of Lampang. The Emerald Buddha was enshrined at this temple from 1434 to 1468, when King Tilokaraj relocated the image to Wat Phra Singh in Chiang Mai. The temple's Mon-style chedi, which is reputed to contain a strand of the Buddha's hair, is tall. It is flanked by a Burmese-style mondop, with a pyatthat spired roof, that was"
"Wat Phra Yai Wat Phra Yai, known in English as the Big Buddha Temple, is a Buddhist temple on Ko Phan (also spelled Koh Fan or Koh Faan), a small island offshore from the northeastern area of Ko Samui, Thailand, connected to that island by a short causeway north of Samui International Airport. As its name indicates, it is home to a giant, gold-painted Buddha statue. Since being built in 1972, it has become one of Ko Samui's main tourist attractions and a major landmark. The Buddha statue depicts Buddha in a state of calm and purity and resolve, having"
"preserved stupas in the world, such as Ruwanwelisaya. The most elaborate stupa is the 8th century Borobudur monument in Java, Indonesia. The upper rounded terrace with rows of bell-shaped stupas contained Buddha images symbolizing Arūpajhāna, the sphere of formlessness. The main stupa itself is empty, symbolizing complete perfection of enlightenment. The main stupa is the crown part of the monument, while the base is a pyramidal structure elaborated with galleries adorned with bas relief scenes derived from Buddhist texts and depicting the life of Gautama Buddha. Borobudur's unique and significant architecture has been acknowledged by UNESCO as the largest Buddhist"
"monument in the world. It is also the world’s largest Buddhist temple. as well as one of the greatest Buddhist monuments in the world. A Jain stupa was excavated at Mathura in the 19th century. The Shwedagon in Yangon, Myanmar is one of the largest and most holy stupas. The Benalmádena Stupa is the largest stupa in Europe. It is high and was inaugurated on 5 October 2003, the final project of Buddhist master Lopon Tsechu Rinpoche. Rinpoche built his first stupa at Karma Guen near Malaga in 1994, a symbol of peace and prosperity for Spain. Rinpoche went on"
"heritage in fusing traditional Lao and French colonial architecture. There are more than 30 active temples in Luang Prabang, and was the seat of the Kingdom of Lan Xang from 1353-1560 and the Kingdom of Luang Prabang from 1707-1946. The stupa That Luang and the Plain of Jars in Xieng Khouang were both nominated for UNESCO status in 1992. That Luang was nominated for its religious significance as a site of Buddhist pilgrimage and the Plain of Jars for its importance as a major archaeological site of Iron Age culture in Southeast Asia. The national music of Laos is the"
"Asia. This pattern seems to have emerged at the same time as other representations of the Buddha in the Greco-Buddhist art of Gandhara. Burma: Cambodia: China Pakistan: India: Indonesia: Japan Malaysia: Sri Lanka: Tajikistan: Thailand: Reclining Buddha A reclining Buddha is a statue that represents Buddha lying down and is a major iconographic and statuary pattern of Buddhism. It represents the historical Buddha during his last illness, about to enter the parinirvana. He is lying on his right side, his head resting on a cushion or relying on his right elbow, supporting his head with his hand. After the Buddha's"
"of the two provinces, King Say Setthathirath of Lan Xang and King Maha Chakkraphat of Ayutthaya, decided to build a great temple celebrating a pact of mutual respect and defense between the two kingdoms. Phra That Sri Songrak was built on the border. A stone inscription at the stupa reads: When the French annexed Dan Sai district as part of colonial Laos, the inscription was taken to Vientiane. At some point it was shattered into fragments, and the remnants are maintained at Haw Phra Kaew Museum. A replica of the tablet now exists at Phra That Si Song Rak. The"
"to the Japanese. All of this sparked from monasteries in Laos, Wat Ong Teu included. Wat Ong Teu Mahawihan Wat Ong Teu Mahawihan (Temple of the Heavy Buddha) is one of many Buddhist monasteries in the city of Vientiane in Laos. This name is given to the temple due to the large, bronze ""Phra Ong Teu"" Buddha image that is in the temple: the largest Buddha in Vientiane. This temple was initially constructed by King Settathirat I in the 16th century (known as the golden age of Buddhism in Laos) when Laos was being bombarded by the Burmese, but was"
"prisoners. Phra Borommathat Chedi is the oldest stupa containing Buddha relics in Thailand. Wat Phra That Doi Suthep was founded after a monk followed a dream and found a shoulder bone that glowed and replicated itself; leading him to believe it was a Buddha relic. (phra that). Wat Com Ping in northern Thailand claims to enshrine over 50,000 buddha relics. Relics of the head were found in Teankam temple, Lampang province in 2007. The temple was built by King Indraditya in the 12th century. An exhibit donated by the Dalai Lama features relics from Gautama Buddha as well as 40"
"Deng Xiaoping changed the economic system with the policy of Reform and Opening. People in Zhaoyuan became richer than before with the rapid growth of industry. Zhaojin Mining - Largest gold producer in Shandong and headquartered in Zhaoyuan. ""Asia's largest statue of ""Ao"""" (a mythical giant turtle Chinese ), 15 m tall and 20 m long, in Luoshan State Forest Park (罗山国家森林) It can be easily seen on Google Maps satellite photos at . Zhaoyuan, Shandong Zhaoyuan () is a county-level city within the prefecture-level city of Yantai, Shandong Province, China located on the seashore of the Bohai Sea. Zhaoyuan"
"Soviet Union. The Communist red star and hammer and sickle were replaced with the national shrine at Pha That Luang. The coat of arms is specified in the Laotian constitution: Emblem of Laos The National Emblem of the Lao People's Democratic Republic shows the national shrine Pha That Luang. A dam is pictured which as a symbol of power generation at the reservoir Nam Ngum, an asphalt street is also pictured, as well as a stylized watered field. In the lower part is a section of a gear wheel. The inscription on the left reads ""Peace, Independence, Democracy"" (lao script:"
"Wat Phra Kaeo Don Tao Wat Phra Kaeo Don Tao (, literally ""monastery of the Emerald Buddha on the water jar knoll"") is the principal Buddhist temple in Lampang, Thailand. The temple was founded by the first Mon ruler of Lampang. The Emerald Buddha was enshrined at this temple from 1434 to 1468, when King Tilokaraj relocated the image to Wat Phra Singh in Chiang Mai. The temple's Mon-style chedi, which is reputed to contain a strand of the Buddha's hair, is tall. It is flanked by a Burmese-style mondop, with a pyatthat spired roof, that was commissioned by Lampang's"
"visited this place and predicted that it would become a rich and prosperous city. It was in the following centuries that it became the capital of the Kingdom of Lan Xang, and the centre of Buddhism. The city developed with royal administrative complexes amidst temples and monasteries. The National Museum, built in 1904, has exhibits of royal religious artifacts in the entrance hall, as well as a rock from the moon. Of particular importance is the 14th century gold Phra Bang which has rendered its name to the province. There are several landmark temples in the provincial capital city. Wat"
"Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Thailand, Tibet and Vietnam in a wide area around the Mahabodhi Temple. These buildings reflect the architectural style, exterior and interior decoration of their respective countries. The statue of Buddha in the Chinese temple is 200 years old and was brought from China. Japan's Nippon temple is shaped like a pagoda. The Myanmar (Burmese) temple is also pagoda shaped and is reminiscent of Bagan. The Thai temple has a typical sloping, curved roof covered with golden tiles. Inside, the temple holds a massive bronze statue of Buddha. Next to the Thai temple is 25-metre statue of Buddha"