Plain of Jars – The Mysterious Site of Laos
The Plain of Jars is a cultural and historical relic area located near Phonsavan commune, Xieng Khuang province, Laos. This is the third World cultural heritage of Laos recognized by UNESCO in 2019, after the Town of Luang Prabang (1995) and Vat Phou and Associated Ancient Settlements Within The Champasak Cultural Landscape (2001).
The Plain of Jars received little Western attention until the 1930s, when French archaeologist Madeleine Colani began surveying the area. Colani excavated the artifacts, some of which date from 500 BC to 800 AD, and published her findings in the journal The Megaliths of Upper Laos.
The Plain of Jars caught widespread Western media attention soon after Colani’s excavation around 1930. Source: Pornpiboom Pibul.
The legend surrounding these stone jars is very interesting. According to legend, many giants have settled here, and they are the owners of those strange stone jars. On the other hand, there are many theories put forward, such as that the jars were created to hold wine to celebrate victory during the reign of King Khun Cheung. Or ancient people made those jars to store water for use during dry summers. However, archaeologists believe that these are urns related to prehistoric burial rituals, when a lot of burial objects and ceramics were found around the stone jars.
Site 2 of the Plain of Jars, Phonsavan, Xiang Khouang Province, Laos. The numerous stone jars are ancient and still a mystery today.
With more than 2,000 stone jars of all shapes and sizes scattered in many places in Xieng Khouang. The U.S. Air Force dropped a huge number of bombs on Laos, primarily the Plain of Jars, between 1964 and 1973 to thwart the movement along the Ho Chi Minh Trail during the Vietnam War. An estimated 80 million of these did not explode and remain a deadly threat to the population.
A bullet-shaped jar showing an inner rim at Site 2 in The Plain of Jars.
Therefore, currently there are only 3 places around Phonsavan town that are being put into tourism exploitation: the first location has about 250 jars, the second location has 100 jars, and the third location has more than 100 jars. The remaining areas are still being studied because many landmines have not been thoroughly cleared.
Similar to Jar Site 2, Jar Site 3 is also surrounded by a small cluster of trees with jars in less uniform (some are taller, some are thinner or some are wider). Source: Laos Travel.
Plain of Jars is not only a famous tourist destination in the country and the world with mysterious stories, but it has also marked a milestone in the Vietnam-Laos special combat alliance, serving as a token of solidarity between the two countries. Make you way out to visit this outstanding megaliths site in Laos with Lua Viet Tours now!
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