Sometimes, while wandering a city, you stumble upon something that draws you in. Something unassuming, yet somehow meaningful. That’s what happened to us in Vientiane, while walking between two temples. A strange coincidence led to me learning a small story about the city’s history.

After visiting the Mother Temple, Wat Si Muang, we came across a small shrine tucked away by the roadside. This was the City Pillar Shrine. It was built to preserve a set of ancient city pillars that were rediscovered in 2007, a humble yet important monument to the foundation of Vientiane itself.

What caught my attention was a note about one of the pillars. It bore a calendar marking the tenth day of the third month in the Year of the Pig. I was born in the Year of the Pig too, though on the third day of the tenth month. That small coincidence felt strangely personal, like a quiet nod from the past.

Curious, I climbed the steps to see the preserved stones. These weathered fragments once marked the foundationof the city. In ancient times, people came here to pray for prosperity. And thanks to the preservation efforts of Laos, they still pray here to this day.