An imposing Vietnamese-built monument to Lao-Vietnamese cooperation during the Indochina wars stands in Muang Phin, 155km east of Savannakhet and 34km west of Sepon. Done in the stark 'Heroes of Socialism' style, the monument depicts North Vietnamese Army (NVA) and Pathet Lao (PL) soldiers waving an AK-47 and Lao flag aloft.