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The Patuxay/Patuxai Arch or Arch de Triomphe of Vientiane is one of the top spots to see while visiting the capitol of Laos. Located about 5 minutes drive from the town area of Vientiane, this beautiful arch stands right in between the main roads of town at the Patuxay Park (Pah-too-chai). It is also known as the Victory Monument or Victory Gate as it commemorates those who lost their lives in the war against the French.


Getting to The Patuxay park is quite easy as all tuktukdrivers know of this famous arch and it is not too far. Also it is on the way to the Golden Stupa or That Luang Temple so you have to pass this huge arch. Alternatively, you could take a nice long morning walk here or simply rent a motorcycle like I did to explore the city.

The Patuxay project was started in 1962 and was finally completed in 1968. This arch has a four sided gateway and the overall height of the arch is seven stories high. The top of the arch is accessible and you can view the surrounding area from there.



Getting up the Paruxay is fairly simple as there is a staircase leading up. You have to pay a ticket fee of 3,000 KIP to get up there and there is a small ticket counter at the bottom. As you make your way to the top, you will also see some small souvenir shops. Once at the top, you get a good birds eye view of the area. Sadly when I was there, the weather was really bad so no pictures of that here.


The Patuxay Arch was built using American funds. The US government had given Laos money to build a new airport, however the Laotian government of the day used the money to build the monument instead. As a consequence it is sometimes referred to as the "vertical runway".

It was also much decided in the late 50s that Lane Xang Avenue which is dubbed the Champs Elysees of Vientiane, should be crowned with its own version of the Arc de Triomphe. Patuxay translated from the Lao language where Patuu means “door” or “gateway” while Xai came from Sanskrit Jaya meaning “victory”.

One thing for sure is that you will see a lot of tourist at the Victory Monument as it is one of the main sites for tourism. Even the locals will come here in the evenings to enjoy the beautiful musical fountain that is synchronized with the beat of local music being played. Sadly, I did not make it for this evening event.


After the Patuxai Arch visit, I jumped back on my rented motor bike and headed back to town. Well, one more picture and I was completely satisfied. On my next visit here, I will be making a night trip to this beautiful arch in Vientiane.