The site of That Luang has been in use since the year 236 of the Buddhist Calendar (307BC) when the first governor of Vientiane, Phaya Chanthabouri Pasitthisack or Bourichan built a structure that looked like a kiln of about 9 meters high and 10 meters wide.

The original stupa was built on the site in 1566 by King Saysetthathirath, and was restored in 1953. The golden stupa is 45 meters tall and is believed to contain a relic of the Lord Buddha. The gold centerpiece of this stupa echoes the curve of an elongated Lotus bud. Only the pinnacle is covered in real gold, the remainder of the stupa is painted a gold color. Today it is the most important national cultural monument in Laos.