Vientaine: Laos' not-so-Laos-y National Museum

Vientiane, the capital of Laos, was not what I had expected. Everyone I had talked to whilst in Laos told us we should skip the city, as there was nothing to do, and nothing to see, and that it was just a boring city. Even my Rough Guide was fairly despondent about the city, and resorted in the list of attractions to describing mediocre parks and fountains, before quickly moving onto to more exciting destinations.

However, I found this much maligned city surprisingly pleasant. Perhaps it was that I had missed effective internet access and some home comforts only available in a decent-sized city, or perhaps it was nice to escape to somewhere which wasn’t focused on ripping off tourists, but I really enjoyed my time in Vientiane.

I will summarise my comings and goings in the city in a later blog; in this entry, I wanted to focus on one of my favourite attractions in the city: the Laos National Museum.

Despite reading History at university, I am not a great fan of visiting museums whilst travelling. I realise I am spoilt by the high-quality, free museums that I can visit back at home in Oxford and London, but I also don’t want to spend my precious days travelling standing around inside a stale museum learning about things I could more efficiently learn whilst on long bus or train rides from a guide book. However, I had read reviews and descriptions that made me think that Laos’ national museum might be worth the visit.

It started off innocently enough with Laos’ prehistory, which also gave us a chance to learn about the famous ‘Jar’ culture we had wanted to see first hand in Phonsavan, but which we had decided was not worth an eight-hour bus journey in each direction.

What you can't see is that the jar is full of money thrown in by visitors.

The prehistory ground floor of the museum was actually fairly detailed and interesting, perhaps partly because much of the archaeology and collation had been done by a joint-Swedish-Laos team. Certainly, my inner historian enjoyed it.

But the museum’s real attraction was the first floor, which was devoted to modern Laotian history, and more importantly the Laotian struggle for independence and socialist revolution. Perhaps here it would be helpful to give the country’s full name: The People’s Democratic Republic of Laos. Laos remains one of the last officially-communist states in the world, and most towns and villages have at least one communist flag fluttering somewhere.

I feel that this could be the name of a song. It would have a gospel choir, and clapping, and an-over-the-hill pop star.

It started fairly well, with a display of the different cultural heritages of the peoples that now inhabit Laos. Think crumpled ‘tribal’ outfits, and a hallway full of drums.

Then of course, there was a brief history of Lenin.

The English was not always comprehensible.

And then a bust of Lenin.

What revolutionary museum doesn't have one?

Niko and I were initially mystified by the references everywhere to ‘Mr Kakmak the politician, economy, leadership revolution of international worker’. We first of all thought he must be a Laotian socialist leader, but I had done some research, and couldn’t recall the name. It was only when we found a portrait of him that we realised who they meant.

Mr Kakmak

Karl Marx. Of course.

Then we moved into the sections celebrating the glorious people’s revolutionary movement against the royalist, colonialist (read-American) regime. Strangely there was no mention that one of the communist leaders was a Laotian prince, and relative of the ‘puppet king’. I just love these crazy, propaganda museums.  

Personal highlights include a picture of tribal people undertaking military training.

I really hope these guys with crossbows where not sent against a modern fighting force...

I would note here that they are being equipped with crossbows. And that this picture dates to the early 1970s, where they were fighting against Americans with machine guns, tanks and helicopters….yeah...poor guys.

Then there was the section devoted to Kaysone Phomvihane, the leader of the revolutionary party and later Prime Minister and President of Laos. I particularly liked the fact that they had included and framed his exercise equipment….

Kaysone needed to keep fit...for his ladies...

It was just a brilliantly-horrendous propaganda exhibition, which was very entertaining for a few hours.

I would point out that I am in no way belittling the struggle of the socialists to overthrow what they saw as an American-controlled puppet state. I am more just amused at the museum’s partiality, and in some cases falsity, in reporting the events of the period. I am sure that there was a need for misinformation and lies at the time, but not 40 years after the event when the regime remains firmly in control of the state.

But anyway, brilliant museum that is definitely worth a visit.

Next up, more brilliant attractions in awesome Vientiane.

DSP