Mekong River - Vientiane, Laos - Sandbanks at Nightfall

Nightfall over the Mekong River in Vientiane, with exposed sandbanks and quiet channels reflecting the soft colours of the evening sky.

This photograph captures the Mekong River at nightfall from the riverfront in Vientiane, Laos. Broad exposed sandbanks stretch across the river while a quiet channel of water reflects the delicate pink, violet and blue tones remaining in the evening sky. Grasses along the near bank create a dark natural foreground, while small lights beginning to appear in the distance mark the transition from day to night. The Mekong is one of Southeast Asia’s great rivers, flowing for approximately 4,350 kilometres through or along six countries before reaching the South China Sea in Vietnam. At Vientiane, the river forms the international boundary between Laos and neighbouring Thailand. Water levels vary considerably with the seasons, producing expansive sandbanks and exposed riverbed during drier periods. Far more than a geographical feature, the Mekong has long been important to communities in Laos as a source of food and water, a transport and trading route, and a central part of everyday social and cultural life.