Savannakhet  is the capital of the Savannakhet Province in Laos.The name Savannakhet comes from the words Savanh Nakhone, which means "city of paradise", the city's original name. Savannakhet is the second-largest city in Laos, after Vientiane. Like all Lao cities, Savannakhet has a mixed population of Lao, Thai, Vietnamese and Chinese, as well as minority peoples from the Lao interior. It has a large 15th century Buddhist temple, Wat Sainyaphum, a Chinese temple, a Catholic church and a mosque. In 2005 the construction began of a bridge over the Mekong linking Savannakhet to Mukdahan, Thailand. At present, the connection is served by frequent passenger and vehicle ferries.