Laos is a strange place. It is a sleepy and curiously pleasant country with inhabitants among the friendliest people on earth. But it wasn't always so. Bordering Thailand across the Mekhong River in the west, Myanmar and China in the north, Vietnam to the east, and Cambodia to the south, it is a miracle this former French colony wasn't carved up as spoils to the ambitions of its powerful neighbours long ago. But it has survived somehow, in spite of having the dubious distinction of being the most bombed country per capita in history during U.S. carpet bombings of the Vietnam War.
City of Diversity
Today, Vientiane is a peaceful city of multi-cultural influences, most evident in its architecture: Lao temples, French colonial mansions, Sino-Vietnamese shophouses and Soviet-style administrative offices. Southeast Asia’s recent development has been slower here, so there are few tall buildings and little traffic, but hotels and foreign restaurants are multiplying as the communist government opens up to visitors.
Stupas and Sculptures
Vientiane’s majestic Pha That Luang is a 16th century gilded stupa surrounded first by a wall of 30 smaller stupas (also gilded), and then by a defensive cloister. This is actually the result of two restorations since the Siamese sacked Vientiane in 1828. The Bangkok-style Wat Si Saket (1818) is the city’s oldest temple, containing 2,000 small and 300 larger Buddha images, mostly from the 16th to 19th centuries. The Lao monarchy used to worship at Haw Pha Kaew, now a museum. Said to have once held the Emerald Buddha (now in Bangkok), it contains some of Laos’ finest and oldest Buddhist sculptures. The Patuxai monument, the Lao version of the Arc de Triomphe, commemorates pre-Revolutionary war heroes: climb the inner stairs for a view of the city and its avenues. 24 km south of Vientiane, Wat Xieng Khuan is really a park containing huge and unusual Buddhist and Hindu sculptures from the 1950s.
Second City
When Fa Ngum founded the Lan Xang kingdom in 1353, he named his capital Muang Sawa. Later, when he received a Sri Lankan Buddha image (Phra Bang) from the Khmers, he renamed the capital Luang Phrabang. Vientiane became the new capital in 1545. Now, as Laos’ second biggest city, Luang Phrabang remains a sleepy town still awaiting modernity. The ethnic mix is Laos, Mien, Hmong and various other Thai tribes. The architecture is assorted, with northern Laos temples and French colonial buildings standing among humbler private dwellings: mountains surround the area, giving an isolated feel.
Temple Finery
Interesting temples: The classic Wat Xieng Thong (1560) is the city’s finest temple. It features some unique Buddha effigies and a beautiful tree of life mosaic. Stunning gold relief adorns the doors of Wat Mai Suwannaphumaham (1797). Wat Wisunalat (1513) is Luang Phrabang’s oldest, continually used temple. Burned by Chinese Ho bandits in 1887, it was rebuilt in 1898.The main stupa of Wat That Luang (1818) holds the ashes of King Sisavang Vong. Local lore dates the site to the 3rd century BC.
River Attractions
Outside Luang Phrabang: Pak Ou Caves on the Mekong River are a 25-km boat ride away and contain hundreds of Buddha statues. 29 km south of the city are Kuang Si Falls, where water cascades from several tiers into the green pools below. This is a public recreation area.