Up a tarmac road lined on either side by various types of palms in the sticky tropical heat is an elegant building, bearing traits of colonial architecture while rather confusingly being topped by gilded stupa dazzling in the sun. Through imposing doors of solid teak you enter a corridor lined with portraits and murals, on canvas, cloth and tile. Marble busts and small metal plates below identify the various Kings and Queens that have graced the throne of Laos till present day, austere eyes following you as you delve further into the history of this conflicted country. There are paintings of a style almost jarring against the traditional Buddhist motifs for it reflects the traditional Lao lifestyle as seen through the eyes of French painters in the 30s. You walk through a further array of corridors and turns to stumble upon the throne hall that is marked unsurprisingly by two thrones surrounded on all sides by mirrored, tile mosaics mimicking a mural found in the town’s oldest temple. Walking out onto the compound’s garden, you spot a glittering pagoda in gold and a small sign informs you that you are about to enter Wat Ho Pha Bang. With tiers stacked like folded cards against each other, this complex structure took 13 years to build and leads out into a single additional space for the classical instruments and theatrical masks of Laos.

What you’ve just walked through is not just the Royal Palace of Laos, but its history and its growth all at once.