Patuxay

Location: Lane Xang Avenue, nearby the Premier House, in the city center of Vientiane.

Entry fee: 10000 Kip

Opening time: 08:00~16:30

Opening time for fountain: 18:00-20:00 on weekdays, all day long for weekends.

Recommended time for a visit: 1 hour

Standing 45 meters high and 24 meters wide, Patuxay was a large monument originally built to commemorate the martyrs in the wars. Resembleing the Arch of Triumph in Paris, the arch was renamed as the triumphal arch of Laos to memorize the historical event when Vientiane citizens’ parading procession passed through the gate in 1975 to celebrate the nation’s liberation.

The construction of Patuxay started from 1960 and finally completed in 1969. The four faces of the Patuxay are both arches with carving decorations. On the arches’ bases are typical exquisite Laos’s engravings and decorations of Buddhism temple style, which are representatives of traditional Lao ethnic culture and art. Tourists can ascend to the top to acquire a panoramic view of the entire Vientiane City. The decorations on eaves of the top which are essence of typical Lao architecture are also worthy a watch. Surround the Patuxay now is a newly built Fountains garden.