First introduced by Mon Buddhist monks, Buddhism became widely popular in the fourteenth century when the Theravada form was promoted by Fa Ngoum with the arrival of the country's palladium - the golden Pra Bang Buddha image.

Today, Buddhism is the religion of 90% of the country's 5.4 million people, and its overall influence upon the daily lives of the Lao people has been little altered by the strictures of the Communist government. In fact, the Lao government has never opposed observance of the religion and has used many of its teachings to support its political goals. With the political and economic reforms of the mid-80s, Buddhism is once again flourishing. The Vientiane - based That Luang festival - reduced to a three day religious observance during the first decade of Communist control - has expanded into a full week's celebration with a huge fair, concerts, and sound and light shows.