What to See in Vientiane, Vientiane, Laos

What to see in Vientiane, the capital of Laos? Personally, I was not very impressed as a city: one day is enough to see the main monuments. Vientiane, however, has its charms: in fact, Vientiane has ‘only’ 800,000 inhabitants, so it does not boast the levels of stress and chaos of Ho Chi Minh City and Saigon, again to stay in Southeast Asia.

Vientiane is home to the most important monument in all of Laos. In fact, Pha That Luang is a stupa beloved by Laotians. It was built in the same area where there was another stupa, dating back to the third century. The present stupa was consecrated in the 16th century; however, it suffered various damages in the following centuries due to wars against the Burmese. Only the highest part of the stupa (located 69 meters high) is of real gold: the rest is colored gold.

The visit to Pha That Luang is very interesting: I recommend spending at least 45 minutes. Pha That Luang is four kilometers away from the city center: the Loca app is necessary.

Only one kilometer away from Pha That Luang is another must-see monument in Vientiane. In fact, the Patuxai monument commemorates the battles against the French army, which occupied Laos for a long time. Patuxai is a veritable arch of triumph, inaugurated in 1968. ...... (follow the instructions below for accessing the rest of this article).