The Presidential Palace is the official residence of the

President of Laos The president of the Lao People's Democratic Republic is the head of state of Laos. The current president is Thongloun Sisoulith, since 22 March 2021. He was previously elected as the General Secretary of the Lao People's Revolutionary Party, ...

, who, by convention, also holds the position of

General Secretary of the Lao People's Revolutionary Party General Secretary of the Central Committee of the Lao People's Revolutionary Party is the office of the highest-ranking member of the Lao People's Revolutionary Party (LPRP) and also typically the supreme leader of Laos. Since the party's takeov ...

. It is located on the banks of the Mekong River in the capital city,

Vientiane Vientiane ( , ; lo, ວຽງຈັນ, ''Viangchan'', ) is the capital and largest city of Laos. Vientiane is divided administratively into 9 cities with a total area of only approx. 3,920 square kilometres and is located on the banks of ...

History

Located near Sisaket Temple in the junction of Lane Xang Avenue and Settathirath Road, the building was first built in 1560 as a new royal residence by the orders of King Setthathirath. Meanwhile in 1973, it was first started by the then

Royal Lao Government The Royal Lao Government was the ruling authority in the Kingdom of Laos from 1947 until the communist seizure of power in December 1975 and the proclamation of the Lao People's Democratic Republic. The Franco-Lao Treaty of 1953 gave Laos full i ...

on the grounds that used to house the royal residence. It was designed by local architect Khamphoung Phonekeo but due to political change brought about by the takeover of the communist

Pathet Lao The Pathet Lao ( lo, ປະເທດລາວ, translit=Pa thēt Lāo, translation=Lao Nation), officially the Lao People's Liberation Army, was a communist political movement and organization in Laos, formed in the mid-20th century. The gro ...

in 1975, the building was not completed until much later. The Presidential Palace finally opened in 1986 and even then only as a venue for government functions and ceremonies. The building is closed to the public. It is a well-known landmark for its imposing yet elegant

Beaux-Arts architecture Beaux-Arts architecture ( , ) was the academic architectural style taught at the École des Beaux-Arts in Paris, particularly from the 1830s to the end of the 19th century. It drew upon the principles of French neoclassicism, but also incorpora ...

complete with tall colonnades and shaded balconies. The building is surrounded by well-manicured lawns and gardens and fenced off by tall walls and a wrought iron gate. The Presidential Palace is not to be confused with the official home of the Lao president which is located in the Vientiane suburb of Ban Phonthan. The palace is lit up in the evening and offers a great opportunity for night photography.
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Notes

{{reflist Buildings and structures in Vientiane Presidential residences Palaces in Laos Tourist attractions in Vientiane Buildings and structures completed in 1986