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Patuxai
Patuxai
Address Th Lan Xang, Patuxai
Keyword monument, architectural highlight
Reminiscent of the Arc de Triomphe in Paris, the Patuxai is
Vientiane's most prominent monument. The name is approximately
equivalent to Arch ( pátųu , also translated as door or gate) of
Triumph ( xái , from the Sanskrit jaya or victory), but unlike its
Parisian namesake the Patuxai boasts four, rather than two,
archways.
It was built in the 1960s with US-purchased cement that was supposed
to have been used for the construction of a new airport. Hence it's
sometimes called 'the vertical runway'. From a distance, Patuxai
looks much like its French source of inspiration. Up close, however,
the Lao design is revealed. The bas-relief on the sides and the
temple-like ornamentation along the top and cornices are typically
Lao, though the execution is at times shoddy. Don't miss the painted
description on the southwest corner, which in a few lines reflects
both Laos's endearing honesty and naivety to 'First World'
preoccupations like marketing. One sentence reads: 'From a closer
distance, it appears even less impressive, like a monster of
concrete'; talk about brutal honesty. A stairway leads through two
levels stuffed with souvenir T-shirts (seriously, there are
thousands) to the top levels, from where the views are grand.
Photography is supposed to be banned from the top. Patuxai is within
walking distance of the town centre and work in recent years has
transformed the surrounding field into the most popular park in
Vientiane. It's a good place to soak up the atmosphere of modern
Laos, with the Chinese-donated musical fountain a big hit in the
late afternoon.
Other attractions in Vientiane: Lao National Museum | Papaya Spa | Patuxai | Pha That Luang | That Dam | Wat Si Muang | Wat Si Saket | Wat Sok Pa Luang | Xieng Khuan
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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