The Plain Of Jars

Opening Hours: All year round Location: Around Phonsavan, the main town of Xieng Khouang Province in Northeast Laos. Site 1 is about 15km southwest of Phonsavan and has about 300 jars. Site 2 is about 25km south of Phonsavan and contains about 90 jars spread over two hills. Site 3 is about 35km southeast of Phonsavan and contains about 150 jars. It’s actually only 10km away from Site 2. How to get there: It’s easy to hire taxi (4WD and driver) from Phonsavan to the jar sites or visitors can catch a local bus to Site 3 but not site 1 and 2. Situated on a high plateau in northern Laos, Xieng Khouang is a rising destination in Indochina travel map. The mysterious Plains of Jars, recognized by Unesco as a World Heritage Site, has brought Xieng Khouang to worldwide attention. Xieng Khouang is home to around 200,000 inhabitants with agriculture as the main source of income. The province is heavily devastated by American bombardment during the Vietnam War and its central and eastern areas are still affected by the war’s legacy. Its capital is Phonsavan, a newly established town. The pristine landscape of Xieng Khouang is made up of high plains, green peaks and lush valleys. Lying on a high altitude (average 1200m) Xieng Khouang enjoys pleasant climate, cool during day and a bit chilly at night especially during winter. Scattered in the landscape of the Xieng Khouang plateau, Xieng Khouang, Lao PDR, are thousands of megalithic jars. These stone jars appear in clusters, ranging from a single or a few to several hundred jars at lower foothills surrounding the central plain and upland valleys. The legendary Plain of Jars consists of hundreds of giant stone jars strewn all over the plateau at 1000m altitude. History has not been revealed yet but legends tell that these huge jars were used to store dead bodies of human as ancient customs. No one knows exactly.