LARGEST -- Jar, "Plain of Jars"—Xiengkhouang Province, Laos - Superlatives on Waymarking.com

The "Plain of Jars" is the leading archaeological site of the land locked nation of Laos (strictly speaking, the Lao People's Democratic Republic). The site lies in the province of Xiengkhouang, approximately 200kms north of the capital Vientiane, and 12 hours on a bus along the long, and very winding, sometimes non-existent road.

The Plain consists of a group of sites where ancient stone jars, dating to between 500 BCE to 500 CE, are scattered across the landscape. The jars themselves range in size from 1m to 3m metres tall, and a metre or less in diameter. They are found on the lower slopes of hills, and possibly indicate the position of ancient villages. There are currently 88 sites positively identified, with site 1 being the main site, closest to Phonsavan and with the most jars, 334 to date, out of a total known number of jars of 2,300. Your tour will start here. The number of jars varies, some sites have only 1 jar, a few 100+. The stone for the jars comes from a quarry site on a hill ~8kms due east of site 1.

Site 1 is noted as containing the largest jar. This is located just a short walk from the main entrance. This jar is noticeably larger than its fellows. This has led the locals (or at least the tour guides) to dub this jar the "King Jar".


Not a great deal of research has been carried out on the Jars to date, however, there is a strong push to have the Plain declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site, possibly within two years. This would assist with their preservation and raise their tourist profile. To achieve this will require further bomb clearance—UXBs are visible as you wander through site 1—also direct international flights and other infrastructure improvements. Best wishes.

Evidently, as they have raised lips, suggesting the use of covers, the jars were intended to store goods of some type. They may also have been used for mortuary purposes, the production of whisky (so I was told), or ... something else. It is most likely that they were used for a multitude of purposes and functions.

Unfortunately, as I visited during the rainy season there was lots of rain and mud. Thus only site 1 was accessible, however, site 1 was worth the visit. Apparently October is the best month to visit.

Your first view will be of the ticket office, 10,000 Kip ($1) to enter. The ticket office is also a shop (surprise) selling themed items. There are aluminium spoons and other knick knacks made from recovered bomb fragments, also t-shirts, silk handbags, etc. Nothing very expensive. Worth buying a stack of stuff for gifts for the folks back home.

Then, to the Jars! You walk maybe 50m up a slight hill, and there you are—the Jars! The jars are a dark grey in colour, they come in various sizes, but most here are 1m-2m tall. Most also rest at an angle, showing their years. Site 1 runs in a curved line due eastwards covering maybe 500m, an easy walk. There is an impressive range of jars. Site 1 has the only non-grey coloured jar, a dark orange colour. Also, site 1 has the only jar with a carving. This is known as the "Frog Man". This carving is maybe 60cm tall on one side of the jar, facing due west. It is not overly visible, being a bare outline. The man has his arms and legs bent, thus the "frog".

Site 1 is broken into two segments. The first is reached directly from the entrance, the second is approximately 100m due east down a short road. Between the two is a cave. This cave has a recent interesting history. During the bombing campaign of the Vietnam War locals hid here from the devastation. Two holes were made in the cave roof to permit cooking smoke to escape.

One disturbing and sad aspect of the four decade old bombing campaign is that children still search through the bomb craters for fragments. These fragments are made into souvenirs for tourists. This is a dangerous activity. I am not sure who is responsible, the parents for allowing this, but families need money, or ... who?

Reaching the jars requires a guide and transport. Everywhere around town there are booking agents, even the convenience stores. Prices are in the $20-$30 for a group tour, more for a private tour, depending on the itinerary. Seeing site 1 alone will consume half a day, sites 2 and 3 another half day.

The city and the Jars are certainly worth a look, if you happen to find yourself in northern Laos with a few days to spare.

Type of documentation of superlative status: verbal. Location of coordinates: Jar site. Web Site: Not listed

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Date Logged Log User Rating   11/14/2017 franketmuriel visited it