Vientiane

Vientiane is a capital that doesn't want to be a capital. With around 950,000 inhabitants, it feels like a sleepy provincial town — and that's exactly its charm. No skyscrapers, no traffic chaos (well, almost), no hustle and bustle. Instead: wide boulevards with frangipani trees, crumbling French colonial villas, golden temple spires, and the Mekong flowing leisurely past the city.

The name "Vientiane" (Lao: ວຽງຈັນ, "Wiangchan") means "City of Sandalwood" or "City of the Moon." The city has been destroyed multiple times — by the Siamese (completely razed in 1828), then rebuilt by the French, who left it with boulevards and baguettes.

Plan 2–3 days for Vientiane. The city is not a firework of sights but a place to arrive, slow down, and soak up the Laotian way of life. Mekong sunsets, BeerLao on the riverside, and the best French bakery in Southeast Asia included.

The National Symbol of Laos

Pha That Luang (ພະທາດຫຼວງ, "Great Sacred Stupa") is the most important religious building and the national symbol of Laos — it adorns the state emblem, the highest banknote, and countless official documents. The golden stupa rises 45 m above the city and is an overwhelming sight, especially at sunset when the gold shines in the warm light.

History

According to legend, a relic of Buddha (a breastbone) was kept at this site as early as the 3rd century BC. The current stupa was built in 1566 by King Setthathirath when he moved the capital from Luang Prabang to Vientiane. Over the centuries, it was destroyed multiple times (by the Siamese, Chinese) and rebuilt — the current golden coating dates from the 1930s under French colonial rule.

What You See

• Three Levels: The stupa has three levels symbolizing Buddhist cosmology — the material world (earth level), the world of forms (middle level), and the world of formlessness (top, 45 m high).
• Cloister: A cloister with small niches and Buddha statues runs around the stupa.
• Wat That Luang Neua and Tai: Two temples flank the stupa — the northern one (Neua) is the seat of the highest Buddhist cleric of Laos.

That Luang Festival

In November (full moon of the 12th lunar month), the Boun That Luang takes place — the most important religious festival in the country. For a week, thousands of monks and believers pilgrimage to the stupa. Light processions, large-scale almsgiving, and a huge fair. If you're in Laos in November, don't miss it!

Vientiane's "Arc de Triomphe"

The Patuxai (ປະຕູໄຊ, "Victory Gate") is Vientiane's version of the Arc de Triomphe — and the Laotians have named it with delightful self-irony "the vertical runway." Why? The building material (concrete) was actually donated by the Americans for airport construction — the Laotians used it instead for this monument.

Architecture

The 49 m high arch (built 1962–1968) combines French architecture with Laotian elements: From afar, it looks like the Parisian Arc de Triomphe, but the decorations are typically Laotian — Naga snakes, Kinnari figures (half human, half bird), lotus flowers, and Buddhist motifs. The ceiling of the passages is adorned with elaborate reliefs.

Viewing Platform

Through several floors (staircase, no elevator!) you reach the viewing platform with a 360-degree panorama over Vientiane. On clear days, you can see as far as Thailand on the other side of the Mekong. Inside: souvenir shops, cafés, and a small exhibition.

The Most Bizarre Sculpture Park in Southeast Asia

25 km southeast of Vientiane, right on the Mekong, lies one of the most surreal places you will ever visit: the Buddha Park (Xieng Khuan). In a garden stand over 200 gigantic concrete sculptures — Buddhist, Hindu, and animistic figures of all sizes, from tiny meditators to the 40 m long reclining Buddha.

The History

The park was created in 1958 by Bunleua Sulilat, a mystical priest/shaman who merged Buddhism, Hinduism, and animism into his own religion. The sculptures are not ancient artifacts but concrete works from the 1950s–70s — yet their impact is no less overwhelming. Sulilat fled to Thailand after the communist revolution in 1975, where he built an even crazier sculpture park on the other side of the Mekong (Sala Kaew Ku in Nong Khai).

Highlights

• The Reclining Buddha: 40 m long, impossible to miss at the entrance
• The Pumpkin: A giant walkable pumpkin with three levels — hell, earth, and heaven. Climb inside (narrow entrance!) and ascend the floors for a view over the park
• Multi-armed Gods: Hindu deities with dozens of arms, snake kings, Garudas
• Meditating Buddha under the Naga: The park's most iconic motif — Buddha, protected by the seven-headed Naga snake

COPE Visitor Centre — The Consequences of the Secret War

The COPE Visitor Centre (Cooperative Orthotic and Prosthetic Enterprise) is one of the most moving museums in Southeast Asia — and a must for every visitor to Laos. COPE manufactures prosthetics and walking aids for the victims of unexploded ordnance (UXO).

The exhibition tells the story of the Secret War — the most massive bombing campaign in history. Between 1964 and 1973, the USA dropped over 2 million tons of bombs on Laos (more than on Germany and Japan in World War II combined), including 270 million cluster bombs. An estimated 80 million of them did not explode and remain in the ground to this day. People — especially children who mistake the small "bombies" for toys — still die and are maimed every year.

The exhibition is factual, not sensationalist. Video documentaries, personal stories, a bomb collection, and a prosthetics workshop. Free admission, donations are urgently needed and meaningful.

Mekong Riverside & Night Market

Every evening, Fa Ngum Road along the Mekong transforms into a lively night market. Hundreds of stalls offer Laotian textiles, silk scarves, T-shirts, souvenirs, and — the best — street food:

• Grilled fish on a stick (Ping Pa)
• Tam Mak Hoong (papaya salad) with sticky rice
• Khao Jii Pâté (Laotian baguette with pâté — a legacy of the French!)
• Fresh fruit smoothies and Lao coffee

Behind it, the Mekong Promenade — the perfect place for the sunset. A BeerLao in hand, the view across the wide river to Thailand, the sky in orange and pink. That's how a day in Vientiane ends.

French Colonial Heritage

The French ruled Laos from 1893 to 1953 and left their mark:

• Rue Setthathirath: The main street of the old town with colonial buildings, cafés, and the beautiful Wat Si Saket (Vientiane's oldest temple, 1818, with 6,840 Buddha statues in niches)
• Haw Phra Kaew: The former royal temple, now a museum with the finest collection of Laotian art (opposite the Presidential Palace)
• JoMa Bakery Café: The best bakery in Southeast Asia — croissants, pain au chocolat, and quiche on a French level. A legacy of the colony.
• Nam Phu Fountain: The small roundabout fountain in the heart of the old town, surrounded by colonial houses, bars, and restaurants