Vientiane

Vientiane (Lao: ວຽງຈັນ) is the capital and largest city of Laos. It is located on the banks of the Mekong river, close to the Thai border.

History

The town was founded during the late 13th century, and in the mid-16th century the capital of the Lao kingdom (a state known as Lan Xang) was moved to Vientiane from its previous traditional location at Luang Prabang. From 1899 to 1953, with the exception of the Japanese occupation (1945), Vientiane was in succession the seat of the French governor and the French administrative capital. The city became the national capital of the newly independent Lao state in 1953.