Buddha Cave

The Tham Pa Fa Cave, located near Na Khang Xang Village in Thakhaek District, recently came into the news following the discovery of 229 Buddha statues in a previously unexplored cave. In April 2004, a local villager by the name of Mr. Boun Nong entered the small cave opening 15m from ground level. He had noticed bats entering the cave and decided to climb a vine to investigate, with the intention of collecting bats (a local delicacy).

Passing through the small cave entrance he looked down into the cavern below and to his amazement saw a large Buddha statue. Proceeding down into the cave he realized that there were over 200 Buddha statues ranging in size from 15cm to over 1m tall. For one week he did not tell anyone in the village, as he did not believe what he had seen and thought that it might just be his imagination, but finally returned with a group of nine villagers to reinvestigate. Word about the new discovery soon spread, and the cave has become one of Khammouane's most visited attractions. The villagers have since organized themselves to guard the cave and its sacred Buddha statues 24 hours a day.