Vientiane

Vientiane stands on a bend of the Mekong, where the river opens onto a fertile plain. Its temples and stupas made it a great centre of Lao Buddhist culture, while the river connected the city with communities upstream and downstream. In 1560 King Setthathirath made Vientiane the capital of Lan Xang, establishing royal and religious buildings that gave the city a new prominence.

After the death of King Sourigna Vongsa in 1690, struggles over the succession divided Lan Xang. Vientiane became the centre of one of the resulting kingdoms, competing with Luang Prabang and Champasak. Siamese armies captured the city in 1778–79 and made its rulers tributary. In 1826 King Anouvong rose against Siamese authority; the rebellion failed, and Vientiane was devastated as its people were carried away or fled across the river.