Monuments to visit Vientiane

This monument stands on Lane Xang Avenue. Pátu means "gate" and xái is a derivative of Sanskrit which translates as "victory". It was built in the 1960s to honour the memory of the victims of the pre-revolutionary wars. It is possible to climb to the top from where there is a superb panoramic view of the city. The fountain built at the foot of the Patuxai is the meeting place of the youth of Vientiane. Lane Xang Avenue, in the middle of which it stands, is said to have been built by the Americans as an airstrip.

This park is home to an eight-metre bronze statue of Chao Anouvong, former king of Laos, just in front of the presidential palace. Inaugurated at the beginning of November 2011 to commemorate the 450th anniversary of the capital, it represents the former king turned towards his Thai neighbours across the river. He has his right hand outstretched and his left hand resting on his sword. This posture would be, for some, a sign of pride and resistance of the Laotian people against the Thai nation. The last king of Laos fought against neighbouring Siam in the early 19th century.