The emblematic image of Vientiane, Pha That Luang (16C) is both a national symbol and the most sacred religious monument in Laos. In the middle of the cloister, the silhouette of its elegant gilded stupa (35m) points towards the sky - it is said that it houses a relic of the Buddha. During the stupa's major festival, known as Boun That Luang, held during a full moon in October-November, candlelit processions attract crowds of bonzes and pilgrims from across the country over a three-day period.