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| Home » Laos Travel Guide »
Xieng Khouang
» Plain Of Jars |
| DESTINATION LAOS |
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XIENG KHOUANG GUIDE |
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 ATRACTIONS IN
XIENG KHOUANG |
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| HIGHLIGHTS IN
XIENG KHOUANG |
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| COME ON OVER |
| The breathtaking landscapes, beautiful coastlines, cultural delights and historical significance, make Laos an enjoyable stop in Asia travel map. To help you plan a trip in Xieng Khouang - Laos, we provide the useful guide of hotel options, package tours, transport, attractions, shopping and entertainment. You just click the sections below for helpful information. |
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PLAIN OF JARS NEAR XIENG KHOUANG TOWN |
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The mysterious Plain of Jars is situated about 12 kilometers from Ban Phonsavanh, the capital of the province. There are over 300 giant stone jars scattered across the misty plateau. The Jars vary in size from 1 to 3 meters height and up to 2.7 meters in diameters with the heaviest jar weighing 6 tons.
An air of mystery hangs over the Plain of Jars. Local folklore says that, in the 6th century, the warrior king, Khun Jeuam, brought his army from Southern China and defeated the evil chieftain, Chao Angka. The mighty battle was followed by a mighty feast, at which hundreds of gigantic jars of lao-lao rice wine were consumed. Khun Jeuam was, apparently, as bad at tidying up as he was good at throwing parties, for he left behind all of the empty jars, of which nearly three hundred remain, scattered around the flat plains near Phonsavan, including his own six-ton"victory cup".
There is little physical evidence to say that this fanciful legend does not hold at least a little truth. Major wars have been fought on the plains over the centuries, as both Lao, Siamese and Vietnamese armies attempted to win control of them. In the nineteenth century, Chinese bandits further pillaged the plains so that, by the time French archaeologist, Madeleine Colani, arrived in the mid-1930s, almost all that remained of the ancient civilization of the plains were the jars.
Colani claimed to have discovered beads, bronzes and other artifacts that led her to believe that the jars were funerary urns, dating back 2000 year-an opinion that is held by many reserachers today. However, Colani could not shed any light on how the huge jars, carved from non-indigenous limestone, had been transported to the plains or why so many remained, despite centuries of war. Another mystery surrounds the artifacts Colani found at the site, for they have all since vanished.
One last mystery. Though many battles have ravaged these plains, most devastating were the secret battles and air raids of the Second Indochina War. Hundreds of thousands of bombs rained down upon the plains, destroying, among many others, the beautiful town and temples of Xieng Khouang, while running battles were fought and lost among the jars. American bombers also jettisoned unused bombs over the plains as they returned from raids on Vietnam. Yet, despite all the surrounding devastation, the jars were virtually untouched.
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| Northern Laos |
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Vientiane - Vang Vieng, Bokeo - Houeixai Town, Houaphan, Luang Namtha- Muang Sing, Luang Prabang - Muong Ngoi, Oudomxay, Phong Saly,
Xaignabouli, Xieng Khouang |
| Central Laos |
| Bolikhamxay, Khammouane - Khonglor Cave - Thakhaek Town, Savannakhet |
| Southern Laos |
| Attapeu, Champasak - Khong Island - Pakse Town, Salavan - Tadlo Waterfall, Sekong |
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