Plain Of Jars Travel Guide

The Plain of Jars is in Central Laos. The main information about staying in the Plain of Jars can be found on the page about Phonsavan.

The Plain of Jars combines ancient and contemporary history with authentic insights into Phuan, Hmong, Khmu and Tai Dam culture. Nature encounters are easily accessible yet of the beaten track.

Visiting The Plain of Jars is a serene inspiration. The jars with their minimalistic Iron Age aesthetics are an ever-present part of the landscape and the only remaining witnesses to a vanished high culture. Unlike Ancient Greece or the First Emperor of China that date from around the same time, we know very little about the civilization that created The Plain of Jars. There is neither a legend of Troy nor a Book of Songs keeping the memory alive. In more recent history a Secret War took place here.

Constant aerial bombardments transformed the landscape - and often jar sites as well- into a Plain of Scars. Regardless, villagers found imaginative ways to rebuild their existence and often made the legacy of the war a resourceful part of their daily life. Bombs became spoons; and a distinct Xiengkhouang style of architecture was created that incorporates bomb shells as building material and décor for houses. The integrity of a culture that did not succumb to hardship but grew with its trials and yet preserved century old village traditions and beliefs is characteristic for The Plain of Jars.