Café Restaurant, and tuk-tuks in the foreground, Thanon Setthathirat
Despite being the smallest capital city in Southeast Asia, Vientiane is no less diverse ethnically and religiously. Its commercial and religious architecture is consequently, one of the most interestingly diverse as well so far on the Grand Tour.
It’s almost like all the capital cities of Southeast Asia have also found their way into the streetscapes here. We have echoes of Penang, Manila, Saigon, Surabaya, Bangkok, Hanoi, Singapore and of course, Phnom Penh, to which Vientiane is a not-so-distant cousin.
The streetscapes in this gallery are roughly concentrated in the square bounded by Thanon Samsenthai, Thanon Pang Kham, Thanon Fa Ngum (which is the Mekong waterfront) and Thanon Nokeo Kumman. Here, one finds a proliferation, also, of cafes, restaurants, bars and boutiques that have burst up in central Vientiane, and turned the city into somewhat of a paradise for bagpackers and bohemian types.
It is a sign that Vientiane has moved on up in the world, and is only likely to get better.
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A colonial-era bungalow, now used as a bar, Thanon Pang Kham.
Vientiane’s Friday Mosque, serving the city’s small Muslim community, off Thanon Setthathirat.
Foreign Press in Laos, Thanon Setthathirat.
European restaurants around the Nam Phu Fountain.
La Cave des Chateaux, at the Nam Phu Fountain.
Scandinavian Bakery, by Nam Phu Fountain.
Saigon Tailleur, Thanon Pang Kham.
Chinese Shophouse, Thanon Pang Kham.
Art Deco shophouses, Thanon Samsenthai.
Phnom Penh style apartments, Thanon Samsenthai.
Juxtaposition of old and new, in a scene channeling Bangkok, Thanon Fa Ngum
Aashifa Indian Restaurant, Thanon Fa Ngum.
Brand new Chinese Temple, recalling similar ones in Georgetown, Penang. Thanon Fa Ngum.
Traditional Lao wooden houses, very rare these days. Thanon Nokeo Kumman.
Mixay Gallery and La Terrasse Resturant, Thanon Nokeo Kumman.
Café Croissant d’Or, Thanon Nokeo Kumman.
Art Deco building housing a bank, Thanon Fa Ngum.
Handicraft shops in traditional shophouses, Thanon Fa Ngum.
Traditional Shophouse along Thanon Fa Ngum.
1960s apartments, channeling Phnom Penh.
Art Deco Apartment, Thanon Fa Ngum.
Wat Inpeng.
Art Deco apartments, Thanon Khun Bu Lom
Multi-colored shophouses, reminiscent of Ho Chi Minh City. Thanon Khun Bu Lom.
Chinese style Shophouse, Thanon Khun Bu Lom.
Vietnamese temple, channeling Hanoi. Thanon Chao Anou.
Vietnamese Association. Thanon Chao Anou.
Channelling the old town of Surabaya. Thanon Phanompenh.
Channelling Oud Soerabaja. Thanon Phanompenh.
Evangelical Church, reminiscent of Indonesia. Thanon Phanompenh.
Lao Heritage Hotel, like a bungalow in Singapore. Thanon Phanompenh.
PDF: Gallery VIIB – Commercial, Residential and (Multi-)Religious Architecture in Vientiane (5.1 MB)
