That Dam – the Black Stupa

Vientiane · Laos · Ruin

Beneath the black stupa in the heart of Vientiane, a seven-headed naga is said to slumber, ready to wake the day the city is threatened.

That Dam, the Black Stupa, rises weathered and dark from a roundabout in central Vientiane and is believed to be around five hundred years old. Legend holds that a seven-headed naga sleeps beneath it – a serpent spirit that woke to defend the city when the Siamese army attacked in 1827. The same tale says the stupa was once sheathed in gold that the invaders stripped away, leaving the blackened surface as a scar. To this day some locals lay flowers at its base to keep the guardian appeased in its sleep.

FAQ

Where is That Dam – the Black Stupa located?

That Dam – the Black Stupa is in Vientiane, Laos.

More haunted places in Vientiane

• Wat Si Muang Vientiane · Church
• The Plain of Jars Xiangkhouang · Ruin
• Nong Fa Lake Attapeu · Natural site

Accounts are drawn from local folklore and visitor reports.

Image: Stefan Fussan · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons