While I was in Vientiane I went to see the Victory Gate north of the city centre. To be honest, there's not many touristy things to see in Vientiane that I hadn't already seen elsewhere in southeast Asia (temples...lots of temples). So, this was something worth walking across town for! It was built using funding and cement from the US government, but they were intended to build a new runway for the city rather than the monument!
Approaching Patuxai
A non-flattering sign describing the monument:
Looking up at the ceiling under the arch:
The fountain on the north side: