The largest of the country’s 10 government-run museums, the Lao National Museum is housed in a rambling two-story colonial building on Thanon Samsenthai in central Vientiane. Originally constructed in 1925 as the Hôtel du commissariat, the building was badly damaged by war in 1945, but after restoration it became the offices of the Ministry of Defence and latterly of the Prime Minister of the Royal Lao Government (RLG). From 1975-1980 the building served as the headquarters of the Irrigation Department of the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries, but in 1980, on the fifth anniversary of the establishment of the Lao PDR, it was turned into the Lao Revolutionary Exhibition Hall, a permanent display of artefacts, photographs and documents relating to the fight for independence and revolution. In 1985, in celebration of the 10th anniversary of the Lao PDR, it was upgraded to become the Lao Revolutionary Museum. In early 2000 it was re-established as the Lao National Museum, with a new directive to present the entire prehistory and history of the Lao nation. The current objectives of the Lao National Museum are to collect artefacts that better represent the phases of Lao history prior to French colonisation in 1893 and to make its exhibits more comprehensible and interesting to both Lao and foreign visitors. It comprises a number of exhibition halls, each with their own theme. These focus on Lao prehistory and the major dinosaur bone discoveries in Savannakhet; early civilisations; the indianised Mon and Khmer kingdoms during the first millennium CE; ethnic diversity; the history of the Lao kingdom of Lane Xang up to 1707; the division of Lane Xang into three principalities 1707-1779; the rule of Siam 1779-1893; the French colonial period 1893-1945; the first Indochina War 1945-1954; US intervention 1964-1973; the successful liberation of the country in 1975; and the period of national development since 1975. The museum incorporates a souvenir shop and a small gallery of paintings by local artists. It receives some 60 visitors every day.