In 1563, King Setthathirat made Vientiane (in Lao language Vieng Chan) the capital of the kingdom of Lane Xang . The two most important Wats of Vientiane, Wat That Luang and Wat Phra Keo date back to that time. In 1827 Vientiane had been conquered and sacked by a Siamese army. For decades the town lay in ruins, until the French, at the beginning of their colonial reign rebuilt it. However, Vientiane today does not feature French-influenced architecture to the same extent as Phnom Penh and Saigon . Instead there is a strong Thai influence. With barely half a Million inhabitants Vientiane is the smallest capital in Southeast Asia (except for Bandar Seri Begawan of Brunei ).