That Dam, Religious stupa in central Vientiane, Laos

That Dam is a large stupa standing in the middle of a roundabout between Chantha Khoumane and Bartholoni roads in Vientiane. Its base has an eight-sided, outward-flaring lotus moulding influenced by Lanna architecture, above which an octagonal tiered lotus form shows Lan Xang workmanship. The structure is dark in colour, which gives it its name, Black Stupa.

That Dam's builder is unknown; it is thought to have been raised around the 22nd Buddhist century, when King Setthathirath moved the capital from Luang Prabang to Vientiane. The stupa's base carries an eight-sided lotus moulding influenced by Lanna, above which an octagonal tiered lotus shows Lan Xang workmanship. Lao tradition holds that a seven-headed naga sheltered the city here from the Siamese army in 1827.

Local residents see this place as sacred and connect it to a legend about a seven-headed Naga that once protected the city from invaders. This belief still shapes how people view and visit this location today.

That Dam sits on the roundabout where Chantha Khoumane road meets Bartholoni road, so it is reached on foot from the surrounding streets of central Vientiane. The stupa stands in the open on the traffic island, with no gate or enclosure, and can be viewed at any hour.

The structure has an uncommon black coloration resulting from natural aging processes that sets it apart from other religious monuments in the region. This dark patina developed over centuries of weathering and gives it a distinctive appearance.