Considered by many to be the most beautiful of all the Khmer temples, Wat Phu Champassak is distinguished as much by its dramatic and symbolic environmental setting as it is for its masterful architecture and iconographic art. The temple nestles at the foot of the 1,408-metre Phu Khao Mountain, known in Sanskrit as Lingaparvata or 'Linga Mountain' because it is said to resemble the linga of the Hindu god Shiva. Reputed by legend to be Shiva's birthplace, this has been a sacred site since at least the 5th century CE, when nearby Setapura is believed to have been a capital of the proto-Khmer kingdom of Upper (Land) Chenla. Construction of the Wat Phu temple was begun as early as the 7th century CE under Jayavarman I, though most of the surviving buildings date from the reigns of Jayavarman VI (1080-1107) and Suryavarman II (1113-1150). Converted from Hinduism to Buddhism in the 13th century, the site was maintained by the Khmer rulers right down to the 14th century and still plays an important role in local religious life today. The temple complex measures 1,400 metres in a line running east to west up the lower part of Phu Khao Mountain. It is built on six different levels or terraces, connected by steps and a central walkway. Most are man-made, but the uppermost level is a natural terrace where a spring flows out of the mountain. The water from this spring was channelled so that it flowed through the main sanctuary and over a central Shiva linga (the place of which is now occupied by a statue of the Buddha). From there the sacred stream flowed down the artificially terraced mountain slope into two sacred reservoirs or barays and finally into the Mekong River, whose life-giving waters were believed to sustain the whole of the ancient Khmer Empire. Standing structures within the temple complex include quadrangles, a Nandin Hall, small pavilions, brick towers, stairways and the main shrine, which was dedicated to Shiva. The site along with other outlining temples was inscribed on UNESCO's World Heritage List as Wat Phu and Associated Ancient Settlements within the Champassak Cultural Landscape on 14 December 2001. Am Exhibition Hall funded by the Japanese government was opened at the main entrance area to the site in 2003; this houses important artefacts recovered both within and nearby the complex. A major festival is held at the site in February each year. To reach Wat Phu Champassak visitors should turn off National Highway 6 some 32 kilometres south of Pakse and continue 4 kilometres to the Mekong River ferry; Wat Phu Champassak lies 14 kilometres south of the ferry terminal on the other side.