Vientiane, Lao PDR
September 3, 2016

The Patuxai Memorial Monument is the most prominent landmark in Vientiane built between 1957 and 1968. It literally means Victory Gate or Gate of Triumph dedicated to those who fought in the struggle for independence from France.

Though the monument resembles the Arc de Triomphe in Paris, it is typically Laotian in design decorated with mythological creatures such as the kinnari (half-female, half-bird).

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