Carved out of solid chunks of rock from the surrounding mountains, no one really knows what purpose the jars served or why they are there. Legend has it that they were made to store wine for a big party to celebrate victory over Pakhanh City (Xieng Khouang). Archaeologists, however, believe their purpose was to store dead bodies. Today, the villagers use these stone jars to trap birds, specifically the famous local swifts known as ‘noak aen' in Laos.
Jar site 1, also known as Thong Hai Hin, is the closest to Phonsavan and the best known cluster. It contains over 330 of varying sizes and also the biggest jar, over 2 metres high and almost as wide. Farmland surrounds most of the site, with the jars set in fields of tall brown grass.
Known locally as Hai Hin Phu Salato (or table hill), Jar Site 2 is located 25 kilometres south of Phonsavanh. The reason behind such a name? In the 1930s, the French frequented the hill for picnics! About 100 jars can be seen over the two adjacent hillsides here. A short climb to the top offers stunning views which are well worth the effort.
The most attractive site, however, is another 10 kilometres to the south. Hai Hin Lat Khai, or Jar Site 3, has a group of about 150 jars located on top of a small hill from where one can enjoy great views of the neighbouring plains and the valley below, which is home to the prosperous farming community of Ban Xieng Dee. Located at the very entrance of the jar site, the farming community's village also has a small Buddhist temple that tourists are welcome to visit.
Apart from the interesting stone jars and picturesque views, there are a number of other things to see and do in Phonsavan and Xieng Khouang province. Meuang Kham's hot springs are worth a visit, as well as the sobering historical site of Tham Piu Cave, which was used as a bomb shelter by the local people during the Vietnam War. All the main sites throughout Xieng Khouang can be visited on locally led tours in Phonsavan and the Plain of Jars.
Xieng Khouang's beautiful landscape consists of luxuriant valleys and elevated green mountains, and because of the altitude (average 1200 m) in the province, the climate is neither too hot nor too wet. Many bomb craters, war debris and unexploded mines can be found across the eastern and central areas of the province. From the early 19th century right up to 1975, the Plain of Jars and central Xieng Khouang were chronic battle zones, and estimates suggest that more bombs where dropped on Laos between 1964 and 1973 than during World War II. It is, thus, mandatory for tourists to follow guided trails as unexploded mines are being cleared even today.
The Xieng Khouang area was said to be part of the Ho Chi Minh Trail, from where troops, artillery and supplies were smuggled out of northern Vietnam, through the mountains on the eastern side, into southern Vietnam. It is not surprising then that a majority of sights near Phonsavan and the Plain of Jars are dedicated to the Vietnam War.
Our Phonsavan Hotels site features an interactive Phonsavan and Plain of Jars map and pictures of each of our properties in Phonsavan, which means you can know exactly where you are staying and what kind of Phonsavan hotel and room you are booking.
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