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The report on the preparation for the 10 -years Anniversary Celebration of Vat Phu Champasak World Heritage Site
and the Phasat Hin Vatphou Festival for the year 2011
of the Provincial Governor of Champasak Province, the Chairman of the Celebration
( dated 16 February 2011 )
By Mr Sonesay Siphandone, governor of champasak province and president of festival commitee
Esteemed Your Excellency Somsavath Lengsavath
the Party Central Political Bureau Committee, Vice Prime Minister, Standing Government Member, the Chairman of the National World Heritage Committee
Esteemed Domestic and Foreign Guests,
-Respectable everybody from Champasak Province and everyone from everywhere
10 years Anniversary Celebration of Vatphou Champasak World Heritage site as well as the Phasat Hin Vatphou Festival this year 2011 has been significantly held in the atmosphere of all Lao people throughout the country competing with one another to improve various resolutions during the VIII th Party Congress, particularly in the atmosphere of the Champasak Provincial Lao multi ethnic people in the process of the enthusiastical competition with one another to disseminate the resolutions of the VI th the Champasak Provincial Party Organization and form the campaigns for welcoming the IX th Party Congress in which will be held in the future.
I am highly honorable as the representative responsible for the great festival as well as the Party Committee, the authority and the Champasak Provincial multi ethnic people to report on the preparation for the 10 years World Heritage Celebration and the Phasat Hin Vatphou Festival for the year 2011.
In the celebration, I would like to wholeheartedly welcome and salute the warm attendance of His Excellency Somsavath Lengsavath, the Party Central Political Bureau Committee, Vice Prime Minister, Standing Government Member and the Chairman of the National World Heritage Committee.
Wholeheartedly welcoming Central Party Government Leaders, Ministers and Vice Ministers from the various ministries, Equivalent Ministries, Provincial Governors, the National Assembly Members, Ambassadors, Consul General and Domestic and Foreign Guests, Champasak Provincial people and others invited.
Respectable all guests of honor
Vatphou with Champasak Cultural areas are the archeological groups are acknowledged and well known for a long time as the significant representative in establishing and expanding the civilization of the ancient people including architecture, art in the old area and Angkor Wat area in the late 5th-Œ12th century AD
In accordance with the research of domestic and foreign historians, archeologists, it is shown the Vatphou archeological groups are the centre of cultural areas in the Champasak plains by defining the Phoukao Mountain as focal point to expand to the west of the chain of mountains and the east of the Mekong River composing temples, water tanks (ancient ponds ), water channels, stone cutting place, the location of the community, ancient roads linked with Angkor Vat plus ancient town planning in the primary era of Khmer Empire. covering approximately 390 square kilometers.
The person who established the Vatphou arranged some factors linking with the environment of the areas suitably in order to reflect the specific symbol of the site that we notice the application of the nature of Phoukao Mountain linked with Vatphou and other construction planning by starting from the summit of Phoukao Mountain like the place of God to be the axis of the whole view.
Some evidence shows that the basic thought for designing the integration and making the Champasak Cultural landscape having outstanding specialty and the stability in one of world cultural landscapes.
By recognizing the wealthy value, the government of the Lao People’s Democratic Republic does the best managing and protecting and researching archeological and anthropological data and information in that area in cooperation with many Lao and international parties. Consequently, the implementation on research is always effective and progressive. In 1993, the groups of Phasat Hin Vatphou with ancient areas was certified as the national heritage and then certified as world heritage by UNESCO at the end of 2001. Afterwards, Vatphou sites with Champasak cultural landscape have been paid more attention by party committee, Champasak Provincial authorities, the various authorities of Champasak District, Pathoumphone District and Phonthong District where covered heritage sites have been managed, protected and developed following the management plans and regulations for conservation approved by the government of the Lao People’s Democratic Republic and UNESCO.
It is noticed that the all the heritage areas have kept the origin of archeological place and the landscaping status. the Department of Vaphou Champasak World iHeritage is to organize the academic work in the site and the Ministry of Information and Culture also directly and collaboratively operates the management, conservation and research with Lao specialists and Foreign specialists in renovating with project cooperation such as Laos Japan cooperative project, Laos Italy cooperative project, Laos France cooperative project and Laos India cooperative project. They strongly contribute in helping us to effectively implement management plans, protect areas and renovate archeological structure.
So far, the atmosphere of tourism regarding archeological places has been more and more attracted every day. Since the Vatphou archeological places with Champasak cultural landscape has been certified as world heritage at the end of 2001, there are the total of 469.869 tourists visiting Vaphou including 216.609 Lao tourists.and 252.880 foreign tourists. The average of tourists has increased by 28 % per year.
Distinguished ladies and gentlemen,
On the occasion of the 10 years anniversary at Vatphou with Champasak cultural areas as world heritage approved by the government submitting Champasak Province in cooperation with the Ministry of Information and Culture and other agencies organizing the great celebration and Pasat Hin Vatphou Champasak Festival 2011. The preparation has started since August 2010. Committees and sub-committees which are formed are in charge of their duties composing 9 activities climbing up to the summit of Chom Kao Mountain, Sale Fair show, Academic workshop, art competition and other nightly festivities, sports competition, official opening ceremony, the parades of various districts, audio lighting show, alms giving ceremony, candlelight procession ceremony, full moonlight Phasat Hin Vatphou worshipping ceremony at the full moonlight night.
The festival lasts 5 days from 14 till 18 February 2011. In organizing the festival, we have great support from various parts of state organizations and private organizations, international organizations, a great deal of companies and shops, community fair and show various companies from Champasak Province and other provinces. There are more than 300 shops in total. In addition, sports competition takes place every day, particularly traditional sports reflecting ways of cultural life.
Champasak Provincial organizes daily festivities such as cultural art show performed by districts and province, especially, the cultural art performances of India, the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, the Kingdom of Cambodia and the Kingdom of Thailand.
On the last day, there will be traditional alms giving activities, candlelight procession the Phasat Hin Vatphou worshipping at the full moonlight night with 4,000 oil lamps. I hope that distinguished guests and everybody will be happy to take part in preserving and booming beautiful traditional culture of the nation forever.
Cultural protection and promotion is the obligation of all people to strongly get involved in developing the country .Furthermore, in order to promote the tourist development following the policy natural, historical and cultural tourism of the Lao PDR to establish friendship, understanding and international cooperation in the world.
Finally, once again I would like to express sincere thanks to party and state leaders, domestic and foreign people guests of honor and multi ethnic people for attendance today and wish everybody a very good health, great success in your duties.
Taking the meaningful opportunity, I would like to honorably invite Your Excellency Somsavath Lengsavath the Party Central Political Bureau Committee, Vice Prime Minister, Standing Government Member and the Chairman of the National World Heritage Committee to have an honorable speech and open the ceremony officially.
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Schedule & fees
Opening everyday :
- from 8:00 am till 6:00 pm for the site
- from 8:00 am till 4:30 pm for the museum
Price lists :
(Only one ticket for de site and the museum)
(Only one ticket for de site and the museum)
30 000 kips
3 000 kips for Lao people
Possibility of visiting the site except schedules.
More precision by clicking on this link: : schedule and price lists
Partners
This site has been realized within the framework of French – Lao cooperation project : " Priority solidarity funds Vat Phu Champassak. Historic and Cultural site arrangement and development ".
Ministry of Information and Culture.
Head office of the Heritage Service of the Arrangement and the Vat Phu - Champassak site Management.
Head office of the Heritage Service of the Arrangement and the Vat Phu - Champassak site Management.
Ministry of Foreign Affairs
France Embassy in Laos
Service of Cooperation and Cultural actions
France Embassy in Laos
Service of Cooperation and Cultural actions