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Laos
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Vientiane - History
Pre-20th-Century History
Set on a bend in the
Mekong River,
Vientiane was originally one of the early Lao valley meuang
(city-states) that were consolidated around AD 1000. The Lao who
settled here did so because the surrounding alluvial plains are
incredibly fertile. Early on, the
Vientiane meuang
prospered and enjoyed a fragile sovereignty.
At various times during the 10 or so centuries of its history,
however, Vientiane lost its standing as an independent kingdom and
was controlled by the Vietnamese, Burmese, Siamese and Khmers. When
the kingdom of Lan Xang was founded in the 14th century by the Khmer
supported conqueror Fa Ngum, it was centred in Muang Sawa (Luang Prabang).
By the mid-16th century, however, the capital had shifted to
Vientiane.
Modern History
When Laos became a French protectorate in the late 19th and early
20th centuries, Vientiane was named as the capital city.
Vientiane escaped a lot of the terror that befell most of Laos as it
was drawn into the Vietnam War. US aid to the city coupled with
income from servicemen stationed there caused something of a boom
until about 1975, with opium dens and the sex industry particularly
benefiting.
With the end of the war, aid money dried up and the royal family was
overthrown. The government that followed became highly influenced by
the Soviet Union until its collapse in 1991. The Lao government then
decided to open up the city to save its economy, though it remains
under communist rule to this day.
Recent History
Between March and December 2000 a string of small bombings or
attempted bombings occurred in Vientiane and other cities. In 2003,
two Lao military officers were arrested in connection with the
Vientiane bombings. Observers speculated that the officers were paid
to place bombs by an organisation called the Underground Government
in Exile, a small group of former Royal Lao aristocrats living in
Thailand who wish to discredit the government.
Browse Vientiane Guides:
Vientiane Overview | When To Go | Itineraries in Vientiane | Sights in Vientiane | Where to sleep | Where to eat | Money & Cost | Getting There & Around | Shopping | Entertainment | Photos | History |
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