King Fa Ngum—Vientiane, Laos
Posted by: 
Ianatlarge
N 17° 58.110 E 102° 35.754
48Q E 245389 N 1988349
A statue of the founder of Laos, on the western approach to the national capital.
Waymark Code: WMEE7B
Location: Laos
Date Posted: 05/15/2012
Views: 1
Somdetch Brhat-Anya Fa Ladhuraniya Sri Sadhana Kanayudha Maharaja Brhat Rajadharana Sri Chudhana Negara better known as Fa Ngum (1316 – 1393) was the founder of the Lan Xang Kingdom, the predecessor of the modern state of Laos.
The future King was born in what is now the modern Laos town of Luang Prabang. As a young man he was exiled to the then dominant Empire of Cambodia. He returned a few years later with a Cambodian princess as his wife and a Cambodian army at his back. With this quantity of moral virtue the young ruler conquered what is now northern Laos and northern Thailand, then extended his rule westwards along the Mekong River. He also embarked on a building program and introduced Buddhism into his Kingdom. However, towards the end of his life the King was forced into exile by his nobles, in the year 1373. Yet his Kingdom was to thrive, in various forms, through to the 20th century.
The statue of the King is maybe three times life-sized, and stands on a 3m high plinth. The King is in military garb, holding his sword in his left hand, his right hand points forward. Around the plinth are several biographical plaques, in Laos and French. The plinth is in a large grassed area, designed for the statue. This grassed area is on a major highway leading into Vientiane from the west.
URL of the statue: Not listed
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