The airport is a window for a city’s foreign exchanges. The grand buildings and frequent voyages represent the city’s economic development and the degree of internationalization. When a country’s capital airport even needs foreigners’ assistance for construction, you can imagine Laos. This country, Vientiane, the city is waiting for prosperity.
Even if the scope is narrowed down to the entire Southeast Asia region, Laos's presence still seems a bit humble. Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, China, and Myanmar, the pressure from the east, the west, the south, and the north make this land have no right to speak on the international stage. In a pure landlocked country, the mountainous landforms will inevitably lead to traffic congestion and difficult economic development. The only Mekong River that runs through the country is not enough to nourish this land. Even if the country tries to develop the economy by revitalizing the tourism industry, tourists from all over the world are easily attracted by neighboring Thailand and Cambodia. The only thing that Laos took out was Luang Prabang, a small world heritage site. This ancient city that has existed for thousands of years is not only Laos's national business card, but also an existence that transcends the country.
Patuxay
Patuxai, translated as "Vientiane Triumphal Arch" in Chinese, is the most representative building in Vientiane. Patuxai literally means "Gate of Victory" and was built between 1957 and 1968 to commemorate those who fought for independence from France. The reason why it is called the "Arc de Triomphe of Vientiane" by many people is because the shape of this memorial building is similar to that of the Arc de Triomphe in Paris.
In fact, when you walk in, you will find that in addition to the small scale of the building, the shapes and details on the walls have a strong Southeast Asian style. The statues on the arches are derived from Buddhist culture. The five pagodas on the top of the building also have the characteristics of typical Lao Buddhist temples. The five pagodas have been endowed with the Buddhism of "thinking, amiable, flexible, honest and trustworthy, and prosperous and wealthy". Worldview.
The exterior of the "Arc de Triomphe" looks like a square concrete building, and the reliefs on the dome and inner wall are magnificent. However, it is estimated that the maintenance work of the building is relatively sloppy. The original magnificent carvings have appeared a little mottled, and the whole building seems to be covered with the dust of time, and it looks desolate.
