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PHONGSALY
I
LUANG
NAMTHA
I
CHAMPASACK
I
SAYABOULY
I
SAVANNAKHET |
|
OUDOMXAY
I BOLIKHAMXAY
I
HOUAPHANH
I
XIENG
KHOUANG
I
SALAVANH |
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VIENTIANE
I VIENTIANE
CAPITAL
I SEKONG I KHAMMOUANE
I
BOKEO |
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Located: Xieng
K
houang
is
Located
435
kilometers
northeast
of
the
Vientiane
capital.
Most
of
its
landscape
consist
of
mountains
and
hills.
Xieng
Khouang
Province
offers
the
awesome
beauty
of
high
green
mountains
and
rugged
karst
formations.
Northeastern
Laos.
Total
area:
15,880
square
kilometers.
Population:
230,000.
07
Districts: Pek,
Kham,
Nonghed,
Khoune,
Morkmay,
Phoukood
and
Phaxay.
Capital: Pek.
 History
:
Xieng
Khouang
and
the
enigmatic
Plain
of
Jars
make
up
one
of
the
most
important
sites
for
studying
the
late
prehistory
of
mainland
Southeast
Asia.
While
the
ancient
civilization
that
constructed
the
jars
was
flourishing,
advances
in
agricultural
production,
the
manufacturing
of
metals,
and
the
organization
of
long-distance
overland
trade
between
India
and
China
were
also
rapidly
transforming
local
society
and
setting
the
stage
for
urbanization
across
the
region.
Mortuary
practices
associated
with
the
jars
consisting
of
both
cremation
and
secondary
burial
suggest
a
highly-evolved
local
tradition
of
ritual,
symbolism
and
metaphysics
which
persisted
through
to
the
kingdoms
of
the
Angkor
Period,
long
after
the
arrival
of
Hindu
and
Buddhist
philosophies
into
Southeast
Asia. |
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Prehistoric
material
found
at
the
Plain
of
Jars
is
still
under
study,
and
apparently
spans
a
considerable
period
of
time,
with
some
dating
from
as
early
as
2000
BC.
The
bulk
of
the
archaeological
material,
however,
as
well
as
the
jars
themselves
appeared
much
later,
dating
to
the
early
Iron
Age
between
500
BC
and
500-800
AD.
The
closet
archaeological
parallels
to
the
finds
at
the
Plain
of
Jars
appear
to
be
Bronze
and
Iron
Age
materials
from
Dong
Son
in
Viet
Nam,
Samrong
Sen
in
Cambodia,
and
the
Khorat
Plateau
in
northeast
Thailand.
There
are
also
similarities
with
the
present-day
city
of
Danang,
as
well
as
with
sites
in
the
North
Cachar
Hills
of
northeastern
India
where
megalithic
jar
North
exist.
All
of
these
similar
sites
date
to
approximately
the
same
period-roughly
500
BC -
500
AD.
Together
they
form
a
mosaic
picture
of a
large
area
of
upland
Southeast
Asia
criss-crossed
by
traders,
with
the
Xieng
Khouang
Plateau
at
its
centre.
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Although
little
is
known
about
the
people
that
constructed
the
megalithic
stone
jars,
an
account
of
the
area's
history
as
it
relates
to
the
Tai
Puan
and
the
lands
they
settled
in
Xieng
Khouang
is
recorded
in
the
Pongsawadan
Meuang
Puan
or
the
Muang
Puan
Chronicles.
The
Tai
Puan
are
a
Buddhist
Tai-Lao
ethnic
group
that
migrated
from
what
is
today
southern
China
and
by
the
13th
century
had
formed
an
independent
principality
at
the
Plain
of
Jars
that
prospered
from
the
overland
trade
in
metals
and
forest
products.
In
the
mid-14th
century,
Muang
Puan
was
incorporated
into
the
Lane
Xang
Kingdom
under
Fa
Ngum,
though
the
Phuan
were
able
to
retain
a
high
degree
of
autonomy.
After
Siam
(Thailand)
extended
control
to
Lao
territories
east
of
the
Mekong
in
the
1770's,
Muang
Puan
became
a
Siamese
vassal
state
and
also
maintained
tributary
relations
with
Dai
Viet
(Viet
Nam).
To
exert
greater
control
of
the
lands
and
people
of
Muang
Phuan,
the
Siamese
launched
three
separate
campaigns
(1777-1779,
1834-1836,
1875-1876)
to
resettle
large
parts
of
the
Phuan
population
to
the
south
to
regions
under
firm
Siamese
control. |
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Subsequent
invasions
by
Chinese
marauders
called
"Haw"
plundered
Luang
Prabang
and
Xieng
Khouang,
and
the
Franco-Siamese
treaties
of
the
1890's
placed
Xieng
Khouang
under
colonial
rule
as
part
of
French
Indochina
until
briefly
after
World
War
II.
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During
the
Second
Indochina
War
that
raged
in
Laos
during
the
1960's
and
early
1970's
Xieng
Khouang
suffered
heavy
aerial
bombardment
and
intense
ground
battles
due
to
its
strategic
importance.
This
conflict
has
left
a
deadly
legacy
of
unexploded
ordnance
(UXO)
which
is
still
being
cleared
today.
Since
Laos
gained
full
independence
in
1975,
Xiengkhouang
and
the
Plain
of
Jars
are
enjoying
peace
and
tranquility
after
centuries
of
conflict. |
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The
original
capital
city,
Muong
Khoun,
was
almost
totally
obliterated
by
US
bombing
and
consequently,
the
capital
was
moved
to
nearby
Phonsavanh.
Of
several
Muong
Khoun
Buddhist
temples
built
between
the
16th
and
19th
century,
only
ruins
remain.
Vat
Pia
Vat,
however,
survived
the
bombing
and
can
be
visited.
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How
do I
get
there
* By
air
Lao
Airlines
flies
between
Vientiane
and
Xieng
Khouang
several
times
a
week.
* By
bus
Buses
leave
Phonsavanh
for
Vientiane
via
Vangvieng
(9
hours),
Luang
Prabang
(8
hours),
Houaphanh
(8
hours)
and
Vinh,
across
the
border
in
Vietnam
(3
hours).
Jumbos
(small
tuk-tuks)
are
the
main
form
of
public
transport
in
town.
Cars
and
guides
can
be
hired
through
travel
agencies. |
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