Southeast Asia Information Port News (www.dnyxxg.com) – On the evening of January 31, 2026, Lao Prime Minister Somsay Siphandone attended the opening ceremony of the 2026 Wat Phou Champasak Stone Temple Worship Festival, witnessing this grand event with religious significance and cultural heritage alongside guests from all walks of life.
In his speech at the opening ceremony, Soksavan Vilayvong, Chairman of the Administrative Committee of Champasak Province, stated that the core theme of this year's Champasak Stone Temple Worship Festival is to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the Champasak Stone Temple site's inscription on the UNESCO World Heritage List. It is understood that the Champasak Stone Temple was originally built in the 7th century AD and has been well preserved through phased restoration and reconstruction. Thanks to the high importance attached to it by the Lao Party and government, and the active efforts of all ethnic groups in cultural protection and inheritance, the site was successfully inscribed on the World Heritage List on December 16, 2001.
This year's worship festival features a rich and diverse program encompassing multiple cultural and religious elements: the opening ceremony vividly depicts the long history of Wat Phou's stone palace through a combination of light, color, and sound systems, while simultaneously showcasing a formation of 590 drones and the setting off of 250 firecrackers, creating an immersive audio-visual feast; accompanying events include a product exhibition, traditional sports competitions, literary and artistic performances, and a tasting event featuring Champasak's specialty foods; a scientific symposium commemorating the 25th anniversary of Wat Phou's World Heritage status will be held concurrently to deepen exchanges on cultural heritage protection; on the evening of February 1st, religious ceremonies such as Buddha image worship, Buddhist chanting, and recitation will be conducted; and on the morning of February 2nd, an alms-giving ceremony will be held for hundreds of monks to preserve Lao traditional religious culture.
