ไทย
English
Laos, Xieng Khouang Province
Windows XP Mountains - Explore the Explosive City of Xieng Khouang, Plain of Jars, Lao Rocket Festival, Phonsavan Bus Station. Xieng Khouang is a province heavily damaged by foreign empires, leaving only ruins. Located in the central part of the Lao PDR, it is a mountainous area with a total area of
17,315 square kilometers and a population of about 186,000 people. It consists of 6 main towns: Muang Phak, Muang Kham, Muang Nong Het, Muang Khoune, Muang Mok Mai, and Muang Phoukhoud. It borders Luang Prabang, Houaphanh, Borikhamxay, Vientiane provinces, and the Socialist Republic of Vietnam. Muang Phuan in Xieng Khouang is one of the oldest cities in Laos, located in the northern part of Lao PDR. This city is famous worldwide for its ancient historical traces.
Importantly, there are many large stone jars scattered in clusters around the Phou Phieng area of Xieng Khouang. It was ruled by 23 kings and was a large kingdom or principality in the past. Prince Ngum united the Lao in the mid-14th century. The city has many ancient cultural relics and legends passed down through generations. Tourist attractions in Xieng Khouang Province /// The stone jars of Muang Phuan, Xieng Khouang, are made from large stone blocks and are widely distributed
throughout the Phou Phieng area of Xieng Khouang, hence the name Plain of Jars. The largest jar is 3.25 meters tall and 3 meters wide at the mouth. The Plain of Jars is about 8 kilometers from Phonsavan, the capital of Xieng Khouang Province. The true purpose of these stone jars remains unconfirmed; it is only speculated that they were carved from large stones to hold the dead many thousands of years ago.
(Prehistoric Metal Age, 3,000-4,000 years ago) According to the beliefs of that era, burial sites had to be preserved on high ground to avoid erosion from water. Therefore, the stone jars are found on elevated mounds //// 2. They might have been wine jars of ancient warriors. According to legend, in the 8th century, a brave Lao warrior named Thao Cheuang led troops to war and won in Xieng Khouang. After the victory,
he celebrated there for 7 months. The jars seen today are said to be wine jars used to entertain troops during Thao Khun Cheuang's victory celebration. Thus, the Lao people commonly call them "Cheuang's wine jars." /// Muang Khoune, formerly known as Muang Phuan, is located about 35 kilometers from Phonsavan. Before the anti-foreign empire war,
Muang Phuan was a historic city in Xieng Khouang Province with many ancient sites such as Wat Re Phrom, Wat Phiao Wat, Wat That Chom Phet, Wat That Fun, etc. According to elders, these temples were built before the reign of Prince Ngum, about 200 years earlier. Folklore tells of a competition between women and men to build temples, to see who could finish first.
The women built Wat Phiao Wat and That Wat Chom Phet, while the men built Wat Si Phrom. In the end, the women completed their temples before the men, as the men secretly sabotaged the women. That Wat Fun, built on a hill, was meant to hold the ashes of the Buddha and contained many important relics. Later, war destroyed and damaged it, and many important items were looted,
leaving only ruins today. After the 1968 war, these ancient sites and all local houses were sadly destroyed, leaving only ruins as a testament to the cruelty of war. Currently, reconstruction has taken place, with houses inhabited by various ethnic groups, mostly the Lao Sung (Hmong). It is located about 30 kilometers from Phonsavan along Route 7.
The local livelihood is farming and hunting, with 258 families living there. /// The hot springs of Muang Kham are about 52 kilometers north of Phonsavan. Muang Kham is an ancient city in Xieng Khouang Province. It has hot springs at 60 degrees Celsius, located about 300 meters from the main road.