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Under the rule of King Setthathirath, the capital was moved from Xiengdong Xiengthong to Vientiane in 1560. King Setthathirath built a shrine to house the Phra Kaeo, the Emerald Buddha. He also erected the That Luang Stupa, a venerated religious shrine which is now the symbol of the Lao nation.
In the seventeenth century, under the reign of King Souliyavongsa, the Kingdom entered its most brilliant era. It was respected by neighboring countries and was reputed in many countries of the world. In 1694, a Dutch merchant of the East Indian Company, Geritt Van Wuysthoff, and later, two Italian missionaries, Leria and Marini, visited the Kingdom of Lan Xang. They wrote awed reports on the rich and beautiful palaces and temples, and the splendid religious ceremonies, saying Vientiane was the most magnificent city in South East Asia. At the end of the reign of King Souliyavongsa, however, the feudal lords of Lan Xang became contenders for the throne which led to the division of the country into three Kingdoms in 1713: Luang Prabang, Vientiane, and Champassak. This in effect created the perfect opportunity for foreign power horses to stampeed through to try and take over. They people fought relentlessly to recover their national independence, but during the most fierce but unsuccessful struggle (1827-1828) in the Kingdom of Vientiane, led by King Anouvong, now a national hero, Vientiane was ransacked completely and destroyed by the Siames (Now know as the people of Thailand). Luckily, That Luang and vat Sisaket were left in good shape and not in ruins. However, one of the items taken was The Emerald Buddha now in Bangkok, Thailand.
The temple is a work of art that dates back many centeries previous and as time passes, many legends, folklore and just stories are made centered around it. That Luang is basically the main focal point of festivals and religious ceremonies in Vientiane. Creating happiness, excitement and mystery. Every year Lao New Year is held there and it is a big event that has everyone in the city of Vientiane participating. There would be crowds and large parties and the streets flooded with people. That Luang sits right in the middle of Vientiane and is open to tourist so I highly recommend visiting if you ever get the chance.
