Phaya Naga hand rails to the temple complex

The Phaya Naga are serpent-like creatures believed by locals to live in the Laotian stretch of the Mekong river.
ao myth maintains that the Naga are the protectors of Vientiane, and by extension, the Lao state. The Naga association was most clearly articulated during and immediately after the reign of Anouvong. Leup Phasun, an important poem from this period discusses relations between Laos and Siam in a veiled manner, using the Naga, to represent Laos and Siam, respectively. The Naga is incorporated extensively into Lao iconography, and features prominently in Lao culture throughout the length of the country, not only in Vientiane.