The recent discovery of an ancient boat in Khammuan province has local villagers bedazzled and curious as to the mysterious origins of the vessel.
The boat is about 20m long and 60cm wide and was found 7m below the surface of the Mekong River in Thakhek district and is now on display at Chomdaeng temple in Pakpeng village.
The exact age of the boat is unknown but it is believed to have been built for racing festivals in the area and carved by skilful carpenters using ancient tools. It is made from khaen wood (Hoppea Odorala,), which is highly-rated by boat builders.
The discovery of the boat also has a bizarre twist. Many local fisherman found their nets were being torn on a tree or some snag in a certain part of the river.
One night, a fisherman had a dream in which a person came to him and said if you don't want me to damage your nets why don't you take me from the river?
The fisherman decided to dive into the river to see what was responsible for the torn nets. To his surprise he discovered the boat. He called his friends to help move the vessel onto land.
The villagers said when the boat was in the river, it was soft, rotten and easy to push, but when it was taken onto land it soon became hardened.
The Abbot of Chomdaeng temple suspects the boat is a tree that has been trapped in the river for about 100 yearsand eventually shaped into an object resembling a boat by the flow of the water.
However, others are not so sure. Close inspection reveals the boat's head is shaped like a crocodile's.
Seen as a strange twist by some, the boat was discovered on the same day the statue of King Sikhottabong was been paraded around the province.
“On the day the boat was taken to the temple, I was attending a ceremony for the parade of the Phanha Sikhottabong statue. When I returned to the temple I was surprised to see a big crowd surrounding the boat,” said the abbot.
“We believe the boat is around 100 years old, but we can't identify exactly how old. I believe the discovery is a good thing for villagers because it creates a reputation for the village and the temple.”
Another curious incident occurred in the province recently when a cow gave birth to a calf with two heads.
The calf's owner decided to offer it to the temple after trying unsuccessfully to sell it.
“At first I didn't want to accept the offering, because of the unpleasant smells from a dead calf. But the calf has been here for two months already and strangely it smells quite pleasant,” the abbot said.
Nobody can say where the mysterious boat comes from or why a dead calf has a nice smell but it certainly has the attention of people who are flocking to the temple to see the strange attractions for themselves.
