Pha That Luang

Pha That Luang (Great Stupa in Lao) is a Buddhist temple in Vientiane, Laos. It was built in the 16th century on the ruins of an earlier13th century Khmer temple, which in turn was built on a 3rd century Indian temple built by Buddhist missionaries from the Mauryan Empire who were sent by the Emperor Ashoka.

Pha That Luang was destroyed by the Thai invasion in the 19th century, then later restored to its original design. The architecture of the temple includes many references to Lao culture and identity, and so has become a symbol of Lao nationalism.