Lan Xang
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Lan Xang or Lancang was a Lao kingdom that held the area of present-day Laos from 1353 to 1707. For three and a half centuries, Lan Xang was one of the largest kingdoms in Southeast Asia. The kingdom is the basis for Laos's national historic and cultural identity.
Statue of Fa Ngum, founder of the Lan Xang kingdom
Wat Visoun, as seen by Louis Delaporte c. 1867
Wat Visoun, Luang Prabang
Statue of King Sai Setthathirath at Pha That Luang, Vientiane
Lao people
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The Lao people are a Tai ethnic group native to Southeast Asia, who speak the Lao language of the Kra–Dai languages. They are the majority ethnic group of Laos, making up 53.2% of the total population. The majority of Lao people adhere to Theravada Buddhism. They are closely related to other Tai people, especially with the Isan people, who are also speakers of Lao language, native to neighboring Thailand.
A Lao woman wearing traditional clothing in Luang Prabang, Laos
The French forced the Siamese to renounce their claims to Lao territory in 1893, thus signalling the genesis of the modern Lao state.
Offering of food to monks to make merit at a temple in Vientiane
A spirit house near Wat Kham Chanot, Udon Thani Province, Thailand