Vieng Xai was home to the leaders of the Communist led revolution during their struggle against the French Colonial regime and later the American government. Deemed an almost impregnable hideout because of their inaccessability and natural protection from bombing, they were used from around 1964 until the mid 1980s. Kept a closely guarded military secret by the Laos Government until the late 90s, they are now being promoted as a glimpse into the secret history of the Laos Communist regime's rise to power.