Situated on the banks of the Mekong River at the Thai border, it comprises the five urban districts of Vientiane Prefecture and had a population of 840,000 as of the 2023 Census.

Established as the capital of the Lan Xang Kingdom in 1563, Vientiane served as the administrative center during French rule and retains colonial-era architecture alongside Buddhist landmarks such as Pha That Luang, a national symbol of Buddhism, and Haw Phra Kaew, which once housed the Emerald Buddha until its 18th-century relocation to Thailand.

The city functions as Laos’ political, economic and transportation hub, emphasizing regional connectivity through infrastructure projects like the Laos-China Railway.

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.

[10][11][12][13]: 6, 7 [14][15] A reference of the name Vientiane can be seen on a Vietnamese inscription of Duke Đỗ Anh Vũ, dated 1159 during the Khmer-Viet conflict.

[19] As late as 1945, the French drew up a plan to move Vietnamese population to 3 key areas (i.e. the Vientiane Plain, the Savannakhet region, and the Bolaven Plateau), which was interrupted by the Japanese invasion of Indochina.

In December, Phoumi Nosavan then seized the capital, overthrew the Phouma Government, and installed Boun Oum as prime minister.

[21] Due to its dry winters and wet summers, Vientiane has a tropical savanna (Aw), a typical climate found in Laos, with a average high humidity rate ranges from 70-84%.

[28] The Wat Si Muang temple was built on the ruins of a Khmer Hindu shrine, the remains of which can be seen behind the ordination hall.

Legend tells that Nang Si, who was pregnant at the time, leapt to her death as a sacrifice, just as the pillar was being lowered into the hole.

[28] Buddha Park was built in 1958 by Luang Pu Bunleua Sulilat and contains a collection of Buddhist and Hindu sculptures, scattered amongst gardens and trees.