Yes, there is
the Sangha College at Vat Ong Teu.
Today, Vat Ong
Teu remains an important temple during celebrations in the city.
However, there is another feature which makes this particular temple
one of the most important in all of Laos.
That is, the
Buddhist school officially known as Sangha College. Otherwise called
Buddhist College or Vat Ong Teu School by the locals. The school
shares its grounds with Vat Ong Teu (or Ong Teu Temple).
The college
was originally created in 1925 to address the needs of monks who
wanted to pursue Buddhist studies at an academically higher level
- a level that goes further than what may be taught in temples.
Its name at that time was "Hong hien pa bali eyut dtee tum".
It is also sometimes called, by local scholars as, Higher School
of Pali.
The school's
purpose is primarily scholary and academic. Buddhist monks who choose
to go there to study after completing high school are those who
take Buddhist studies extremely serious and wish to further their
knowledge on, not only a spiritual level but, an academic one. And
like any college or university there are requirements and expectations.
Studies at this school
include the entire range of Buddhist studies including the languages
of Pali, "tum" and Lao. In addition, there are dhamma,
vinnaya, history and literature studies, to name a few.
Yes, it does.
It has the National Games. There have been six National Games but
the seventh, which is to be held in Savannakhet, was postponed due
to budgetary problems. In particular, the stadium that was suppose
to be built was not completed in time due to having run out of money.
Rumor has it,
that the Games may happen in 2006. However, originally
it was set to have happened in 2003. The 5th and 6th National Games
were held in Luangprabang and Vientiane, respectively, in 1997 and
2000.
