On 3 July 2013, Lao Postal Administrative issued an autocollant stamp set with 3 designs, illustrating Pha That Luang, one of the most important national monument.
Pha That Luang (Great Stupa) is a gold-covered large Buddhist stupa, which was initially established in the 3rd century, in the centre of Vientiane, Laos . It is generally considered as the most important national monument in Laos and a national symbol.
According to the Lao people, in the 3rd century, Pha That Luang was originally built as a Hindu temple. Buddhist missionaries from the Mauryan Empire are thought to have been sent by the Emperor Ashoka, consisting of Bury Chan or Praya Chanthabury Pasithisak and five Arahata monks who brought a holy relic (believed to be the breast bone) of Lord Buddha to the stupa. It was reconstructed in the 13th century as a Khmer temple which fell into ruin.
In the mid-16th century, King Setthathirat transferred his capital from Luang Prabang to Vientiane and requested construction of Pha That Luang in 1566. It was rebuilt about 4 km from the centre of Vientiane at the end of That Luang Road and named Pha That Luang. The bases had a length of 69 metres each and was 45 metres high, and was encircled by 30 small Stupas.
The architecture of the building contains many sources to Lao culture and identity, and so has become a symbol of Lao nationalism. The stupa today consists of three levels, each conveying a reflection of part of the Buddhist doctrine. The first level is 67 m by 68 m, the second is 47 m along each side and the third level is 29 m along each side. From ground to pinniacle, Pha That Luang is 44 m high.
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