SHOTLIST

VIENTIANE, LAOS (NOV. 27, 2025) (ANADOLU - ACCESS ALL)

1. VARIOUS OF KAYSONE PHOMVIHANE MUSEUM EXTERIOR AND STATUES

2. VARIOUS OF VISITORS TOURING EXHIBITS INSIDE MUSEUM

3. CLOSE-UP OF PHOTOS AND ARTIFACTS DEPICTING COMMUNIST REVOLUTION

4. WIDE SHOTS OF VIENTIANE STREETS DECORATED FOR 50TH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION VIENTIANE, LAOS - NOVEMBER 27: Laos is preparing to mark the 50th anniversary of the 1975 communist revolution, which ended the monarchy and established the Lao People’s Democratic Republic. As the December milestone approaches, historic sites linked to the Pathet Lao movement and the wartime era are drawing renewed attention.

On Aug. 19, the Kaysone Phomvihane Museum in Vientiane drew visitors reflecting on the revolution’s central figure. Dedicated to Kaysone Phomvihane — leader of the Pathet Lao and the country’s first prime minister after the takeover — the museum highlights his role in unifying the country and laying the foundations of the one-party system that remains in place today.

At the National Museum of Laos, a historic photograph displayed this month shows the National Congress of People’s Representatives held Dec. 1–2, 1975. The congress abolished the monarchy and formalized the creation of the Lao PDR. Archival materials from that period are expected to feature prominently in upcoming anniversary exhibitions.

The commemorations come amid renewed focus on the human toll of war. At the headquarters of COPE — a Vientiane-based organization providing prosthetics and rehabilitation for survivors of unexploded ordnance (UXO) — officials note that Laos remains the most heavily bombed country per capita in the world. Since 1975, about 20,000 people have been killed by UXO and more than 50,000 injured, with children making up more than half of recent casualties.

In Muang Soui, a cave complex that once housed a wartime hospital for communist fighters was photographed on Aug. 28. The grottoes, tucked into the hills near the former U.S. airbase town, served as a crucial refuge for Pathet Lao units.

Nearby in Phonsavan, residents continue to repurpose remnants of war. The so-called “Spoon Village,” documented on Aug. 26, is known for turning fragments of bombs and unexploded munitions into spoons and metal crafts sold to tourists — a practice that highlights both resilience and the ongoing presence of hazardous ordnance across the countryside.

As the 50th-anniversary events approach, officials say the commemorations will not only honor the political transformation of 1975 but also underscore Laos’ long struggle to address the lasting human and environmental consequences of war.