Vientiane (Lao:ວຽງຈັນ,romanized: Viang Chan,lit.'sandalwood town',RTGS: Wiang Chan,pronounced[wíaŋtɕàn]) is thecapital and largest city ofLaos. Situated on the banks of theMekong River at theThai border, it comprises the five urban districts ofVientiane Prefecture and had a population of 840,000 as of the 2023 Census. Established as the capital of theKingdom of Lan Xang in 1563, Vientiane served as the administrative center during French rule and retains colonial-era architecture alongside Buddhist landmarks such asPha That Luang, a national symbol ofBuddhism, andHaw Phra Kaew, which once housed theEmerald Buddha until its 18th-century relocation to Thailand.
The city functions as Laos' political, economic and transportation hub, emphasizing regional connectivity through infrastructure projects like theLaos–China Railway (LCR). This railway, a component ofChina'sBelt and Road Initiative, terminates in Vientiane after linkingKunming, China, and isslated to connect to Thailand’s rail network via the Mekong Railway Bridge.[4]
"Vientiane" is the French spelling derived from the LaoViangchan/wíaŋtɕàn/.[5] The name was previously written "ວຽງຈັນທນ໌" (in Thai, เวียงจันทน์)(in khmer,វៀងច័ន្ទន៍) and later sometimes written "ວຽງຈັນ". In Lao,viang (ວຽງ) refers to a 'walled city' whereaschan (ຈັນ, previouslyຈັນທນ໌) derives from Sanskritcandana (चन्दन,/t͡ɕand̪ana/), 'sandalwood' and can be translated as the 'walled city of sandalwood'. Some believe it refers to the 'walled city of the moon' aschan can represent 'moon', and this was previously distinguished in writing as "ຈັນທຣ໌".[5][6] Other romanisations include "Viangchan" and "Wiangchan".[7]
Ban Tha Lat,Mon inscription (9th CE), was found in 1968, in an area where other pieces of archaeological evidence testified to a Mon presence. It was exhibited atHo Phra Keo Museum, Vientiane, Laos[8][9]Buddha sculptures at Pha That LuangHaw Phra Kaew or Temple of the Emerald Buddha
By the 6th century in theChao Phraya River Valley,Mon peoples had coalesced to create theDvaravati kingdoms. In the north,Haripunjaya (Lamphun) emerged as a rival power to theDvaravati. By the 8th century the Mon had pushed north to create city states, in Fa Daet (what later isKalasin, northeastern Thailand), Sri Gotapura (Sikhottabong) nearTha Khek, Laos,Muang Sua (Luang Prabang), and Chantaburi (Vientiane). In the 8th century CE, Sri Gotapura (Sikhottabong) was the “strongest of these early city states”, and controlled trade throughout the middle Mekong region. The city states were “loosely bound politically, but were culturally similar” and introducedTherevada Buddhism fromSri Lankan missionaries throughout the region.[10][11][12][13]: 6, 7 [14][15]
A reference to the name Vientiane can be seen on a Vietnamese inscription of DukeĐỗ Anh Vũ, dated 1159 during the Khmer-Viet conflict. The inscription says that in 1135, Văn Đan (Vientiane), a vassal of Zhenla (Khmer Empire), invadedNghe An, and was repelled by the Duke; the Duke led an army chased the invaders as far as Vũ Ôn? (unattested), and then returned with captives.[16]: 65
In 1354, whenFa Ngum founded the kingdom ofLan Xang,[20]: 223 Vientiane became an administrative city. KingSetthathirath officially established it as the capital of Lan Xang in 1563, to avoid Burmese invasion.[21]
During French rule, the Vietnamese were encouraged to migrate to Laos, which resulted in 53% of the population of Vientiane being Vietnamese in the year 1943.[22] As late as 1945, the French drew up a plan to move Vietnamese population to 3 key areas (i.e. the Vientiane Plain, theSavannakhet region, and theBolaven Plateau), which was interrupted by the Japanese invasion of Indochina.[22] If this plan had been implemented, according toMartin Stuart-Fox, the Lao might well have lost control over their own country.[22]
DuringWorld War II, Vientiane fell and was occupied by Japanese forces, under the command ofSako Masanori.[23] On 9 March 1946, French paratroopers arrived and reoccupied the city on 24 April 1946.[24]: 736
As theLaotian Civil War broke out between theRoyal Lao Government and thePathet Lao, Vientiane became “unstable”. In August 1960,Kong Le seized the capital and insisted thatSouvanna Phouma become prime minister. In December,Phoumi Nosavan then seized the capital, overthrew the Phouma Government, and installedBoun Oum as prime minister. In 1975, Pathet Lao troops moved towards the city and Americans began evacuating the capital. On 23 August 1975, a contingent of 50 Pathet Lao women symbolically liberated the city. On December 2, 1975, the Laotian Civil War was officially declared over, when the monarchy was forced into exile, which was arguably the technical end of the Second Indochina War.[24]
The capital attracts tourists to its temples and Buddhist monuments. An attraction isPha That Luang, a national cultural monument of Laos and 1 of itsstupas. It was originally built in 1566 by KingSetthathirath and was restored in 1953. The golden stupa is 45 metres (148 ft) tall and is believed to contain a relic of the Buddha.[31]
TheWat Si Muang temple was built on the ruins of a Khmer Hindu shrine, the remains of which can be seen behind theordination hall.[32] It was built in 1563 and is believed to be guarded by the spirit of a local girl, Nang Si. Legend tells that Nang Si, who was pregnant at the time, leapt to her death as a sacrifice, just as the pillar was being lowered into the hole. In front of the temple stands a statue of KingSisavang Vong.[32]
The memorial monument,Patuxai, built between 1957 and 1968, is a landmark in the city.[31]
Buddha Park was built in 1958 byLuang Pu Bunleua Sulilat and contains a collection of Buddhist and Hindu sculptures, scattered amongst gardens and trees. The park is 28 kilometres (17 mi) south of Vientiane at the edge of theMekong River.[33]
Other sites include:
Haw Phra Kaew, former temple, later a museum and shops
Vientiane has experienced economic growth from foreign investment.[38] In 2011, thestock exchange opened with 2 listed company stocks, with the cooperation ofSouth Korea.[39]
Older taxis in Vientiane are being replaced by newer Chinese-made cars, like thisSoueast Lioncel.[40]
There are regularbus services connectingVientiane Bus Station with the rest of the country. In Vientiane, regular bus services around the city are provided by Vientiane Capital State Bus Enterprise.[41]
Recently, Vientiane constructed its firstbus rapid transit (BRT) service in late 2024 under the Vientiane Urban Transport Project (VSUTP) by Laos'sMinistry of Public Works and Transport.[42] Their BRT service will provided routes for 13.9 KM long in total of 3 BRT lines covered important destinations within their capital area. The construction of the BRT was 90% completed in the end of July 2025 and it was scheduled for free trial operation in late of August 2025 with total of 55 buses manufactured from China by Chery Wanda,[43] but since it was delayed to early September 2025.[44] When fully operational, the service will be operated between 6:00 AM to 10:30 PM everyday with bus frequency of 5 minutes in rush hours and 15 minutes in normal hours.
Ametre gauge railway link over the first bridge was formally inaugurated on 5 March 2009, previously ending atThanaleng Railway Station, in Dongphosy village (Vientiane Prefecture), 20 km east of Vientiane.[45][46] As of November 2010, Lao officials plan to convert the station into a cargo rail terminal forfreight trains, allowing cargo to be transported from Bangkok into Laos more cheaply than via road.[47]
TheBoten–Vientiane railway (sometimes referred to as theChina–Laos railway orLaos–China railway) is a 414 kilometres (257 mi)1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in)standard gauge electrified railway inLaos, running between the capital Vientiane and the town ofBoten on the border withChina. The line was officially opened on 3 December 2021.[48]
The "Centre Medical de l'Ambassade de France" is available to the foreign community in Laos. TheMahosot Hospital is a local hospital in treating and researching diseases and is connected with theUniversity of Oxford. In 2011 the Alliance Clinic opened near the airport, with a connection to Thai hospitals. The Setthathirat International Clinic has foreign doctors. A free, 24/7 ambulance service is provided byVientiane Rescue, a volunteer-run rescue service established in 2010.[50]
^Lorrillard, Michel (12 November 2019),The Diffusion of Lao Scripts(PDF), p. 6,archived(PDF) from the original on 20 September 2021, retrieved26 February 2021
^Coedès, George (1968). Walter F. Vella (ed.).The Indianized States of Southeast Asia. trans.Susan Brown Cowing. University of Hawaii Press.ISBN978-0-8248-0368-1.
^abStuart-Fox, Martin (2002)."Laos: History".The Far East and Australasia 2003. Regional surveys of the world. Psychology Press. pp. 735–742.ISBN9781857431339. Archived fromthe original on 10 May 2016. Retrieved20 February 2023.
^"Klimatafel von Vientiane (Viangchan) / Laos"(PDF).Baseline climate means (1961–1990) from stations all over the world (in German). Deutscher Wetterdienst.Archived(PDF) from the original on 5 March 2020. Retrieved23 January 2016.
^КЛИМАТ УЛАН-БАТОРА (in Russian). Pogoda.ru.net.Archived from the original on 16 November 2023. Retrieved4 January 2015.
Askew, Marc, William Stewart Logan, and Colin Long.Vientiane: Transformations of a Lao Landscape. London: Routledge, 2007.ISBN978-0-415-33141-8
Sharifi et al.,Can master planning control and regulate urban growth in Vientiane, Laos?. Landscape and Urban Planning, 2014.DOI: 10.1016/j.landurbplan.2014.07.014
Flores, Penelope V.Good-Bye, Vientiane: Untold Stories of Filipinos in Laos. San Francisco, CA: Philippine American Writers and Artists, Inc, 2005.ISBN978-0-9763316-1-2
Renaut, Thomas, and Arnaud Dubus.Eternal Vientiane. City heritage. Hong Kong: Published by Fortune Image Ltd. for Les Editions d'Indochine, 1995.
Schrama, Ilse, and Birgit Schrama.Buddhist Temple Life in Laos: Wat Sok Pa Luang. Bangkok: Orchid Press, 2006.ISBN978-974-524-073-5
Women's International Group Laos.Vientiane Guide. Vientiane: Women's International Group, 1993.
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