Even if the books it houses won’t be understood by most visitors, the two-story building of the National Library offers a well-preserved example of colonial French architecture.

The main building was initially constructed to serve as the official governor’s residence, but is now divided into four small reading rooms and offices. A newer building stands adjacent, housing the Children’s Library and the Lao Ancient Manuscript Preservation Project, which documents the locations and subject matter of thousands of ancient Lao and Sanskrit texts.