Laos 2013
Hotay Pidok: The wooden library over the lake is known as Hotay Pidok and is a respository of 4,000 palm leaf manuscripts containing 361 different Buddhist scriptures written in three different languages: Burmese Pali, Khmer and ancient Lao. The oldest of the scriptures were written in the 16th century, while the structure housing them all dates back to the 17th century. There have been numerous restorations of the building over the years. Due to the large number of palm leaf books kept here, it is considered one of the most important collections in all of Laos. Because of the importance of these manuscripts and the fragility of the wooden structure that houses them, they may be moved to the more modern library upon its completion.
Laos was under the control of Siam (Thailand) from the late 18th century until the late 19th century when it became part of French Indochina. The Franco-Siamese Treaty of 1907 defined the current Lao border with Thailand. In 1975, the Communist Pathe... ... read more 
