Vientiane and the northwest - The Rough Guide to Laos - page 103

created a pleasant public space where locals and visitors could congregate and cool off after
sunset. However, recent building sprees have left the square feeling crowded, with new res-
taurants and bars hastily erected around the fountain itself. The best places to eat here are the
older ones, established on the outer edge of the roundabout long before the recent flurry of
construction.
The district surrounding the fountain, also known as Nam Phou , is the city's oldest. Al-
though the roads and grid system of the district were devised by the French, most of the build-
ings were constructed during the free-wheeling days of American aid in the 1950s. Many of
the oldest buildings have been remodelled in the last decade or so, and their facades are plain
and uninteresting; an exception is the National Library , located due south of the square,
which was carefully restored with Australian assistance.
Chao Anouvong Park
Between Fa Ngum Rd and the Mekong river ∙ Free
Until the start of this decade, Fa Ngum Road ran alongside Vientiane's waterfront. Then dig-
gers moved in, churning up the banks of the Mekong to create new space for development.
A large tract of this land was turned into ChaoAnouvongPark , named after the last king of
Lane Xang , who fought for - and failed to gain - independence from Siam (now Thailand).
It's perhaps no surprise that the sculpture of Anou, on the park's southeastern edge, appears
to gaze across the Mekong towards Thailand. The park is one of the few green spaces in the
city, with sweet-smelling frangipani trees and neatly ordered lawns making it a pleasant place
to unwind, as long as you don't mind the roar of passing traffic.
Lao National Museum
Samsenthai Rd ∙ Daily except public holidays 8am-noon & 1-4pm ∙ 10,000K
The dusty Lao National Museum is housed in the former mansion of the French résident
supérieur and set in overgrown grounds dotted with plumeria (frangipani) trees, the delicate
blossoms of which are the national flower of Laos. Previously known as the Lao Revolu-
tionary Museum, the dingy exhibition rooms deal primarily with the events, both ancient and
recent, that led to the “inevitable victory” of the proletariat in 1975. Inside, Laos's past is
crudely depicted on canvas, with scenes such as crimson-clad Lao patriots of yore liberat-
ing the motherland from Thai and Burmese “feudalists”. Upstairs there are more crude oils:
French colonialists are depicted as hair-faced ogres bullwhipping tightly trussed Lao villa-
gers or tossing Lao tots down a well. Black-and-white photographs take over to tell the story
of the struggle against “the Japanese fascists” and “American imperialists”. Most of the best
artefacts on display, including a wonderfully detailed Khmer sculpture of Ganesh and a
bronze frog-drum, possibly used in ancient rain-making rituals, didn't fit neatly into the offi-
cial socialist storyline, and were, until recently, very neglected. Some of the exhibits are only
labelled in Lao, but there are enough English translations to make a visit worthwhile.