The Khmer people from the 10th to 12thcenturies dominated Laos. In 1353, King Fa Ngum first united
Laos, and established the kingdom of Lan Xang (literally meaning "million elephants.") King Fa
Ngum established his capital at Luang Prabang, and the kingdom then covered much in today's Laos
and Thailand. Buddhism had been prevailing in the region, and King Fa Ngum set it up as the state
religion of the kingdom.