Army museum to undergo major renovation

The Lao  People’s Army museum in Vientiane will get a facelift this year to turn it into a new tourist attraction, thanks to financial aid from the government of Vietnam.
The Vietnamese government has agreed to provide a grant of over 13 billion kip (over US$1.5 million) to transform the museum into a visitor attraction, in the hope that it will encourage more local and foreign visitors to learn about the history of the army and the country’s liberation.

The renovation of the museum is considered to be a major undertaking since the facility first opened to the public in 1976.
A groundbreaking ceremony for the start of repair work took place at the museum on Saturday. 
The event was attended by the Lao Minister of National Defence, General Chansamone Chanyalath, Vietnam’s Minister of National Defence, General Ngo Xuan Lich, the Ambassador of Vietnam to Laos, Mr Nguyen Ba Hung, and other military officials and dignitaries from Laos and Vietnam.
According to officials in charge of the renovation, the roof and the façade of the museum will be refurbished. 
In addition, the ceiling will be repaired and new air conditioners will be installed by a Vietnamese contractor. The grounds surrounding the building will also be improved to make them more attractive to visitors.
Speaking at the groundbreaking ceremony, the Deputy Head of the General Department of Politics under the Lao People’s Army, Major General Sonethong Phomlavong, said construction work will begin in February.
Major General Sonethong said the grant from the Vietnamese government is a sign of the long-lasting friendship and solidarity that exists between the militaries of the two nations.
He also thanked Vietnam’s Ministry of National Defence for its support for the Lao People’s Army over the past year in particular.
The money provided is a special gift from Vietnam’s Ministry of National Defence to mark the 70th anniversary of the Lao People’s Army this month.
The Lao Museum of Military History (also known as the Lao People’s Army History Museum) is located near the Ministry of National Defence on Kaysone Phomvihane Avenue in Phonkheng village, Xaysettha district.
Built in 1976, the museum displays weapons, tools, and photos of the Lao People’s Army during the revolutionary period from 1950 until national liberation and the formation of the Lao People’s Democratic Republic in 1975.
A short documentary on the history of Laos can be viewed at the museum. There are also statues of some key military leaders and historical figures on display.   The permanent gallery of the exhibition features the stories of regular soldiers who have served in the Lao armed forces, and outside the main building actual troop vehicles and war planes used in battle can be inspected up close.
Completion of the museum’s renovation is expected in September. 

By Phomphong Laoin
(Latest Update January 22, 2019)