In 1563, King Setthathirat made Vientiane (in Lao language Vieng
Chan) the capital of the kingdom of Lane Xang. The
two most important Wats of Vientiane, Wat That Luang and
Wat Phra Kaeo date back to that time.
In 1827 Vientiane had been conquered and sacked by a Siamese
army. For decades the town lay in ruins, until the French,
at the beginning of their colonial reign rebuilt it. However,
Vientiane today does not feature French-influenced architecture
to the same extent as Phnom Penh and Saigon. Instead there is
a strong Thai influence.
With barely half a Million inhabitants Vientiane is the smallest
capital in Southeast Asia (except for Bandar Seri Begawan
of Brunei).
More information on Vientiane:
This page: http://www.cockatoo.com/english/laos/laos_vientiane.htm
