Museums in Vientiane

The Lao Textile Museum is a small but excellent museum dedicated to preserving and celebrating the rich tradition of Lao hand-weaving. Founded by American textile expert Carol Cassidy, it displays antique textiles alongside demonstrations of traditional techniques.

The Kaysone Phomvihane Memorial Museum is dedicated to the founding father and first leader of the Lao People's Democratic Republic. Located in his former residence compound on the outskirts of Vientiane, the museum documents his life and the Lao revolutionary struggle.

Haw Phra Kaew (the Temple of the Emerald Buddha) was originally built in 1565 as the royal chapel of King Setthathirath to house the famous Emerald Buddha — which was seized by the Siamese in 1779 and now resides in Bangkok's Grand Palace. Today the restored building serves as a museum of Lao religious art.

The Lao National Museum, housed in a 1925 French colonial building that once served as the French governor's mansion, traces the history of Laos from prehistoric stone tools through the Lan Xang kingdom to the 1975 revolution and modern nationhood.

The COPE (Cooperative Orthotic and Prosthetic Enterprise) Visitor Centre is a powerful free museum that documents the devastating impact of unexploded ordnance (UXO) in Laos — the most heavily bombed country per capita in history — and the ongoing rehabilitation work for survivors.