While touring through Vientiane one will encounter French colonial Villas and administration buildings, old Lao town houses, hidden and forgotten shrines of Vientiane’s guardian deities, small spirit houses and famous temples. Among those last ones are Wat Si Muang - where the city pillar of Vientiane is located -, Wat Sisaket - which miraculously survived the Siamese invasion -, or Wat Ho Phra Keo, the former temple of the revered Emerald Buddha.
Although the French colonial government never had a big budget for impressive and large colonial constructions and buildings as they had in Sa
igon, Hanoi or to a lesser extend in Phnom Penh, by touring through Vientiane’s present one will experience its French past…
French Colonial Villas (ADB) at the junction Lane Xang - Samsenthai, which belong to the first section of French colonial construction in Vientiane. This first phase of construction took place in 1914 to 1930.
French Colonial Villas right after the junction Samsenthai - Lane Xang on Samsenthai road.
The Sacred Heart Church was constructed between 1914 and 1930 east of the main administrative district.
The church served the French colonists and the Vietnamese administration staff.
Lao colonial houses built for the local elite during the French occupation of Laos. This type of house was built until 1950.
Nowadays many of these houses have disappeared .
Lao housing from the French colonial period is clearly different from other colonial housing styles as well as from traditional Lao housing and architecture.
This Lao colonial house is built on stilts and the walls are made of torchis (mixture of straw, lime and sand) covered with whitewash - another characteristic element of this period.
This Lao colonial house is characterized by the use of architectural structures such as twin gables, a large covered balcony, from the outside visible access points and the significant use of wood.
The use of bricks however is a contribution from the European architecture.
While the French colonial government established national libraries in Vietnam and Cambodia, they only created a small city library in Laos.
In 1956 this library became the Vientiane General Library.
Since then, the Library has been moved several times until it became the Lao National Library in its current building on Samsenthai Road.
The Education Printing Office was first constructed in 1910/11 and used as a school. The school was part of the core establishment of colonial buildings I Vientiane area.
Constructed 1925 as Hôtel du commissariat, was then used as Ministry of Defence. 1980, it was turned into the Revolutionary Exhibition Hall. 1985, it was upgraded to become the Lao Revolutionary Museum.
In 2000 it was re-established as the Lao National Museum.
Namphou Fountain belonged together with the area around That Dam to the second settlement zone during the French colonial area. At the Northeastern corner one can find the former police station, built in 1921 – nowadays the Vietnamese tourism office.
A bus to the border at Nong Khai or even Vientiane is between 200 and 300 Baht... A good, reliable and low cost option...
The First Thai–Lao Friendship Bridge (Thai: สะพานมิตรภาพ ไทย-ลาว แห่งที่ 1, Lao: ຂົວມິດຕະພາບ ລາວ-ໄທ ແຫ່ງທຳອິດ, is connecting Nong Khai in Thailand with Vientiane in Laos. The bridge over the Mekong River has a length of 1'170 meters. The bridge has two road lanes each 3.5 meters wide, two 1.5 meters wide footpaths and a single meter gauge railway line in the middle. The railway line was the latest addition in 2009 and connects Thanaleang station in Laos with the Royal Thai Northeastern Railways network.
The whole construction costs for the first Friendship Bridge was about US$30 million and funded by the Australian government.
Chao Anouvong or by most Lao people called Chao Anou (1767-1829) was the last king of the former Lao kingdom of Lan Xang. Chao Anouvong was ruling from 1805 to 1828 in Vientiane. He came to power after his brother's death.
Ho Kang - the tiny spirit house of the Chao Ho Kang is located on the Mekong Riverside at Fa Ngum boulevard. This small shrine is a place of ancestor worship of the old Chinese community in Vientiane.
While touring through Vientiane one will encounter French colonial Villas and administration buildings, old Lao town houses, hidden and forgotten shrines of Vientiane’s guardian deities, small spirit houses and famous temples. Among those last ones are Wat Si Muang - where the city pillar of Vientiane is located -, Wat Sisaket - which miraculously survived the Siamese invasion -, or Wat Ho Phra Keo, the former temple of the revered Emerald Buddha.
igon, Hanoi or to a lesser extend in Phnom Penh, by touring through Vientiane’s present one will experience its French past…
The Sacred Heart Church was constructed between 1914 and 1930 east of the main administrative district.
This Lao colonial house is characterized by the use of architectural structures such as twin gables, a large covered balcony, from the outside visible access points and the significant use of wood.
In 1956 this library became the Vientiane General Library.
The Education Printing Office was first constructed in 1910/11 and used as a school. The school was part of the core establishment of colonial buildings I Vientiane area.
Nam Pasak Spirit House of the guardian naga lord Inthachakkhunag, one of the nine guardian naga of Vientiane.
shrine was owned and cared for by the Vietnamese community,
The stretch of Mekong River between Laos and Thailand is characterized by its meandering course and relatively low gradient through the Khorat plateau and the Isaan. The major consequence of this characteristic is the natural instability of the River banks, its erosion and a growing sedimentation of the river itself.
In Vientiane, the bigger parts of the Mekong River banks have been cleared of trees and vegetation. Some places along Don Chan Island have been re-used for agricultural purposes. Local people planted vegetables and crops along the banks – raising concerns with the Vientiane municipality and the Lao government about the increased erosion of the unprotected river banks during high flow periods.
Located some 30 km northwest of Vientiane, Dane Soung is accessible by following the RN13 towards the direction of Luang 
Prabang.
The track deteriorates somewhat but remains accessible to ordinary vehicle in the dry season.
Explore the surrounding by walking between and through great slabs of sandstone. Many of them host caves, which are home to some Buddha statues of various sizes and indefinite period.
The small Wat is been taken care of by one single eremite living there whole year round. Enjoy a tea or some coffee with him.
During the monsoon months (April to September), flooding can make it difficult to explore the country side outside of Vientiane capital. It is preferable to conduct tours in and around Vientiane, a visit of Wat Si Muang is particularly suitable.
The main attraction of Wat Si Muang however is the presence of a square pillar which perhaps was once part of a former Khmer sanctuary. This 
pillar became the lak muang or city pillar of Vientiane in 1560. The pillar is inside the sim.
