Capital of Laos
About Vientiane
Vientiane is the capital city of Laos. Comprising the 5 urban districts of Vientiane Prefecture, the city is located on the banks of the Mekong, close to the border with Thailand. Vientiane was the administrative capital during French rule. The city had a population of 840,000 as of the 2023 census. Pha That Luang, an icon of Buddhism, is located in Vientiane. Other Buddhist temples can be found there, such as Haw Phra Kaew, which formerly housed the Emerald Buddha.
![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 at Ho Phra Keo Museum, Vientiane, Laos[7][8]](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/87/Ban-talat-Mon-inscription.jpg/500px-Ban-talat-Mon-inscription.jpg)
Etymology
"Vientiane" is the French spelling derived from the Lao Viangchan /wíaŋ tɕàn/. The name was previously written "ວຽງຈັນທນ໌" and later sometimes written "ວຽງຈັນ". In Lao, viang (ວຽງ) refers to a 'walled city' whereas chan (ຈັນ, previously ຈັນທນ໌) derives from Sanskrit candana (चन्दन, /t͡ɕand̪ana/), 'sandalwood' and can be translated as the 'walled city of sandalwood'. Some believe it refers to the 'walled city of the moon' as chan can represent 'moon', and this was previously distinguished in writing as "ຈັນທຣ໌". Other romanisations include "Viangchan" and "Wiangchan".
History
By the 6th century in the Chao Phraya River Valley, Mon peoples had coalesced to create the Dvaravati kingdoms. In the north, Haripunjaya (Lamphun) emerged as a rival power to the Dvaravati. By the 8th century the Mon had pushed north to create city states, in Fa Daet (what later is Kalasin, northeastern Thailand), Sri Gotapura (Sikhottabong) near Tha 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 introduced Therevada Buddhism from Sri Lankan missionaries throughout the region. A reference to the name Vientiane can be seen on a Vietnamese inscription of Duke Đỗ Anh Vũ, dated 1159 during the Khmer-Viet conflict. …
Culture
Vientiane is the centre of Laos' national media. It hosts the headquarters of Lao National Television and Lao National Radio. The city is also served by the municipal broadcaster VTE9, as well as CRI Vientiane, a station affiliated with China Radio International.
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