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Parklands on the Mekong Riverfront in Vientiane, LaosOn my first day in Vientiane, the sleepy little capitol of Laos, I took a walk along the Mekong Riverfront. I was surprised to find that a lot of work has been done in developing the river front into a recreation area. A lot of work is still to be done but the main part in the centre of town is complete and makes for a lovely place to explore. A pathway runs along the main levy bank next to the river, where both locals and tourists like to walk and ride their bikes along the Mekong.

Behind the levy bank, the area has been developed into some beautiful parkland that will one day, once the trees have grown a bit larger, be a really great place for a picnic and a day out. Here are a few photos from the central part of the parkland.

A fountain in parkland on the Mekong Riverfront in Vientiane, Laos

A fountain with Naga (dragon) statues

Fountain on the Mekong Riverfront in Vientiane, Laos

Close up of the fountain

Steps leading up to a statue on the Mekong Riverfront in Vientiane, Laos

Steps leading up to a statue

A statue on the Mekong Riverfront in Vientiane, Laos

Close up of the statue. I presume he is someone of importance in the history of Laos, but I never found out exactly who he is. If anyone knows about him, please let me know. *Edit* This statue is of Fa Ngum who founded the Lan Xang Monarchy, the golden age of Laos. (Thanks to Dale for the email) *reference at the bottom of this post

The pathway along the river front makes an excellent spot to watch the sunset over the Mekong River, something that I did every night that I was in Vientiane.

Sunset on the Mekong River in Vientiane, Laos

Watching the sunset over the Mekong River

 

 *Reference – The Laos Project – A great read about the history of Laos.

More photos of Vientiane here.