Plain of Jars, Xieng Khouang, Laos

The United States Dropped More Bombs on Laos Than on Germany and Japan Combined in World War II

The exact tonnage was approximately 2 million tonnes of ordnance dropped during the Secret War in Laos between 1964 and 1973. Xieng Khouang province received a disproportionate share. Roughly 30 percent of the bombs that hit the province failed to detonate. The fields and forests around the Plain of Jars remain among the most UXO-contaminated territories on earth. The craters visible near the jar sites are not all ancient. Some are from the bombing campaign.

This is the context for visiting one of the most archaeologically unusual sites in Southeast Asia. The stone vessels scattered across the plateau are between 1,500 and 2,500 years old. Most are carved from sandstone; the largest weigh around 14 tonnes. Nobody is certain what they were for. Funeral urns is the current best hypothesis, supported by human bone fragments inside some jars and cremation pits at several sites, but the culture that made them left no writing and the archaeology is ongoing.

The Sites

UNESCO listed the Plain of Jars as a World Heritage Site in 2019. Site 1 at Ban Hai Hin (10km from Phonsavan) is the largest and most accessible: around 300 jars with cleared and marked safe zones, information boards, and a Pathet Lao cave shelter used during the American air campaign. Site 2 and Site 3 require hired transport and see fewer visitors.

Entry fees are 10,000 to 15,000 LAK per site.

The UXO Reality

Stay on marked paths at every site. MAG (Mines Advisory Group) and UXO Lao have cleared and marked safe zones; the surrounding terrain is not cleared. If you see anything metallic and cylindrical outside the marked areas, leave it and report it to the site office. There are active casualties from UXO encounters in the province each year. This is not hypothetical caution.

Visit the UXO visitor information centre in Phonsavan before going to any sites. It explains the scale of contamination, the clearance effort, and what to do if you encounter suspect ordnance.

Tham Piu Cave

Twelve kilometres from Phonsavan, Tham Piu Cave was used as a bomb shelter by civilians during the war. On November 24, 1969, a rocket attack killed between 374 and 450 people sheltering inside. The cave is now a memorial. No further explanation is required.

Getting There

Daily flights from Vientiane on Lao Airlines take 50 minutes (approximately USD 80 to 100 one way). The overland route from Vang Vieng or Luang Prabang takes 5 to 7 hours on mountain roads.