Champasak Historical Heritage Museum

Cultural museum located in the city of Pakse in southern Laos, the museum is dedicated to show the development of Laotian civilization and religion around the Mekong River.
Champasak Historical Heritage Museum
Photo by Timo Peuranen
Type: Cultural Museum
Country:
Laos

The Champasak Historical Heritage Museum (Lao: ຫໍພິພິທະພັນມູນເຊື້ອປະຫວັດສາດແຂວງຈຳປາສັກ) is a cultural museum located in the city of Pakse in southern Laos, the museum is dedicated to show the development of Laotian civilization and religion around the Mekong River.

History

The museum has received pieces of sculptures after their discovery by a UNESCO mission, as well as exhibits on the Huei Thamô/Houay Tomo Sanctuary located on the east bank of the Mekong River. In addition, the museum also received collections of Angkorian ceramics belonging to the royal family of the Kingdom of Champasak, in addition to which the museum also received a donation of ceramics found in the chapel of the Thao Tao Hospital.[1]

Collections

The museum contains collections of ancient Hindu and Buddhist temples, when the southwest of Laos used to belong to the Khmer Empire, including statues and images of Hindu deities dating from the 12th to 13th century such as statues of Sadāśiva, important in the Shaiva Siddhanta tradition.[2] In addition, the museum has lintels on historical settlements and pre-Angkorian shrines around the Mekong River, such as Veun Kaen and Ban Huei Na.[3]

Other collections include historical documents about the province, jewelry, musical instruments and ethnic clothing from Laos.[4]

Pakse Museum Image 1
Several Buddhist sculptures found in Lao temples (2018) - Photo by Timo Peuranen
Pakse Museum Image 2
Equipment used for fishing in the Mekong River (2018) - Photo by David France
Pakse Museum Image 3
A lintel found in archaeological excavations in the south of the country (2018) - Photo by Kazuhiro Tsuji
Pakse Museum Image 3
Several traditional instruments such as a Khene (Lao: ແຄນ) and a wooden xylophone (2018) - Photo by David France

References

  1. Christine Hawixbrock. The Vat Phou museum and the archaeological collections of Champasak. 2017, 39 p. hal-03133157

  2. Cecil, E. A. (2020). A Natural Wonder: From Liṅga Mountain to Prosperous Lord at Vat Phu. In A Natural Wonder: From Liṅga Mountain to Prosperous Lord at Vat Phu (pp. 341–384). De Gruyter. DOI: 10.1515/9783110674088-013 ISBN: 978-3-11-067408-8 (Page 380)

  3. Lorrillard, M. (2014). Pre-Angkorian Communities in the Middle Mekong Valley (Laos and Adjacent Areas).

  4. Lowry, L. L. (2016). The SAGE International Encyclopedia of Travel and Tourism. SAGE Publications. ISBN: 978-1-4833-6896-2

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