The Mysterious Plain of Jars
In the north of Laos, lying across a flat
high plateau is the province of Xieng-Khouang, where you will
find the intriguing Plain of Jars.
Hundreds of giant stone jars, some as large
as 3.25 metres high, are strewn all over the plateau. Carved
out of solid hunks of rock from surrounding mountains, no
one really knows why they are there. Theories range from the
view that they were made to store wine for a huge party to
celebrate the conquest of Pakhanh City (Xieng Khouang). Other
researchers believe they were made to store dead human bodies
as was the practice of ancient believers. No one really knows.
The Plain of Jars was also on the Ho Chi
Minh trail and during the "Secret War on Laos" during
the Vietnam / US war was bombarded with bombs. It's estimated
that more bombs were dropped on Laos than in the second world
war. As a result, visitors are advised to stick closely to
guided trails as unexploded ordinance still litters the plain.
The hot springs at Meuang Kham district are
worth visiting, and Tham Piu cave is a sobering historical
site, used as a bomb shelter by the villages during the Vietnam
War.
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