The mysterious valley of jugs, laos Valley of the Jugs - Prehistoric Pottery Workshop of Giants

In the center of Laos is one of the most mysterious places on our planet - the valley of jugs. The valley itself would not have been so remarkable if there were not hundreds of huge jugs on its territory that were created by people thousands of years ago!

The valley of the jugs is located in the Xianglhuang region and consists of several field-fields, on which such unusual jugs are placed. Many such sites are scattered along the border of Laos and Vietnam in the lower reaches of the Annam Range. In total, there are over 60 such sites in Laos. In addition, pitcher-like areas can be found in Thailand and northern India.

The mystery of the valley is also added by the fact that none of the scientists can reliably say which people or tribe built all these jugs and for what purpose! However, judging by the number of jugs in the valley, and there are about a thousand of them, these vessels in the middle of a clear field were extremely important ...

There are not only a lot of jugs, but they also vary greatly in size. There are vessels up to three meters high and weighing more than six tons, and there are very small jugs. Most of the vessels are round, but rectangular are also found.

There is still no exact information about the purpose of these jugs. Scientists have advanced the theory that they served the ancient people as vessels for storing water. In addition, there are suggestions that the jugs could be used as burial vessels. Various household items and bronze jewelry were found in some jugs, which speaks in favor of the second theory. However, no remains were found in the jugs ...

The local population has its own point of view on the origin of the valley of the jugs. People believe that once upon a time giants roamed this land, who scattered their jugs across the glades of Laos.

The average age of the jugs is estimated at 2 thousand years. The material from which the jugs are made is a mixture of sandstone, granite and coral. This is quite curious, since these "ingredients" are practically not found near the sites.

Only a few sections of the valley are open to tourists. The fact is that once the Xianghuang region was subjected to serious bombing by the US Air Force. Several decades have passed since then, but part of the territory is still littered with unexploded charges.

Due to the risk of detonation of old charges in some areas, the movement of tourists and research by archaeologists is very limited. Of course, all this negatively affects the development of tourism in the region. Gradually, dangerous areas are cleared of charges, but the pace of work is not too high ...

wikipedia.org / Sc147

On this moment Lao are trying to obtain object status for the Pitcher Valley World heritage UNESCO. Indeed, such a place is not only very unusual, but also of great interest to researchers. If the valley of the jugs is cleared of unexploded shells, scientists will be able to fully study the jugs and learn about their true purpose, and tourists will have full access to such an interesting object!

Imagine that somewhere on our planet there are fields and forests, over which hundreds of man-sized stone jugs have been scattered for thousands of years. Their origin is one of interesting riddles stories. In general, today I will introduce you to unusual place, which we managed to visit during a year's trip to South-East Asia- Valley of jugs in Laos, I will tell you in which part of the country they can be found, I will mark the locations on the map, I will explain how to get there, I will tell the legends and theories of origin, I will show a lot of photos and give our reviews.

General information and versions of the origin of the valley of the pitchers

Pitcher Facts

The mysterious Valley of jars (Plain of jars) is located in the country of Laos, namely not far from the plateau of the province (khwenge) of Xianghuang. Scientists have established that the period of vascular origin dates back to 500 BC. - 500 AD (Iron Age). At the moment, more than 90 places of pitchers have been found in the valley, the number of which in each varies from 1 to 392 pieces. In diameter, the sizes of vessels vary from 1 to 3 meters, they are carved from rocks and have a cylindrical shape. Many jugs have a rim at the opening, suggesting that they had lids. Teeth, glass beads, fragments of ceramic stone and bronze items, and bone tissue were found inside and near the megalithic jugs. There are many different versions of the origin mysterious valley pitchers, the most basic are listed below.

Version 1: Giants

This is, rather, not a version, but a legend. The inhabitants of Laos believe that giants once lived on these lands. One day their king, Khun Cheung, defeated his enemies and, to mark the occasion, ordered stone vessels to be made for making rice wine.

Version 2: Trade Route

Some sources mention that similar stone jugs have also been found in countries such as India and Indonesia. Their locations coincide with trade routes. Due to this circumstance, there is a hypothesis that the jugs were made for traders from different countries... During monsoons, rainwater was collected in stone vessels, and travelers and animals could quench their thirst. Found beads and other objects could well serve as an offering to the gods, so that rain came down and filled the jugs with water.

Version 3: Funeral Rites

An interesting fact is that a cave was found near location number 1, in which two artificial holes were created. Traces of soot have been preserved inside. It is believed that this cave served as a crematorium, and the holes were chimneys.

The condition of the objects and remains found in the jugs indicate signs of cremation, and around the flasks - to burials without incineration. There are several interpretations in the explanations for this fact.

One of the theories. The bodies of the upper strata of the population may have been cremated so that their souls went to heaven, and the commoners were buried so that their souls were servants of the earth.

Another version. As an option, the body of the deceased was placed in a jug, and after some time, when the soul departed to another world, cremated, and then buried again.

Third interpretation. It is likely that at first one person was buried in a jug, and for many years the relatives of the deceased were buried around the vessel.

The current state of the valley of the pitchers

During the Secret War (1964-1973), American bombs exploded well in this region of Laos. 🙁 The territory of Xianghuan Province is still overrun with millions of unexploded mines. Not only were many of the jugs damaged and destroyed as a result of the bombing, but access to most of the locations of the vessels is still limited and extremely dangerous. Clearing the shells is not a cheap process for the poor Lao PDR. In this regard, the country calls on the valley of jugs to be given the status of a "UNESCO World Heritage Site" in order to attract funding from outside to clear the surrounding territories from mines. At the moment (April 2015), only seven pitcher locations are considered safe: the most visited Nos. 1, 2, 3 and less popular Nos. 16, 23, 25, 52.

Valley of jugs, location 1: photos and our reviews

Location of stone jugs # 1 (Site 1: Thong Hai Hin) - the most visited place in the valley, because located closest to the city of Phonsavan. Here, on an area of ​​25 hectares, there are 334 vessels scattered around.

The largest jug found at this site has a diameter of 2.5 m and a height of 2.57 m.

It was near this location that a cave was discovered, similar to the ancient crematorium, which I wrote about above.

Location number 1 - popular place among local residents for weddings and other photo sessions.

And some more photos of the Valley of the Pitchers:

Our review: if you come to Phonsavan, then a visit to this place is a must! Location 1 is one of the largest, most interesting and easily accessible in the Valley of the Pitchers.

Valley of jugs, location 2: photos and our reviews

This part of the Valley of the Pitchers (Site 2: Hai Hin Phu Salato) was the last one we visited. It so happened that they managed to get here a little before darkness, because before that half a day we skated on some fields, which we do not regret in the least! The pitchers are located on two hills here. First, we looked at the hill to the right, if we go from the ticket office. What kinds of views have opened to us !!!

Then they turned up the left hill. An atmosphere of a certain mystery reigned here.

Our review: this place seemed the most ... sincere, or something. Perhaps this is due to the fact that we arrived here at sunset, when the fields, hills and jugs acquired a golden-fiery color. I had the feeling that time had stopped, that Kostik and I were left completely alone somewhere on the edge of the earth. I wanted to rejoice, jump ... No! I wanted to fly!

Valley of jugs, location 3: photos and our reviews

Having bought tickets at the ticket office to inspect site No. 3 (Site 3: Hai Hin Lat Khai), we cross the bridge over the river.

To see the third location of the pitchers, you need to go further through the rice fields.

The vessels are located on a small hill in a fenced area.

Our review: this part of the valley struck us least of all, although we visited it before the previous one. But it was a pleasure to walk through the rice fields and watch beautiful nature around.

Rules of conduct and precautions

In the places where the valley of the jugs is visited, there are the following rules of behavior:

1. Do not walk on or move the jugs.
2. Do not litter! Leave garbage in specially equipped places.
3. Do not damage the jugs or paint on them. Do not bring sharp objects to the area.
4. Camping and picnics are prohibited in the archaeological park.
5. Selling anything from jugs is prohibited.
6. Do not enter the territory without permission.
7. It is forbidden to move on vehicles on the territory of the complex.

It is very unpleasant when locals themselves do not follow these orders. Example... Below in the photo is a plate on which in Lao and English the above rules are written. Directly under it are the jugs, on which the Laotians are strenuously devouring food in the "party houses". Nowhere else to eat? People deliberately bought food and brought it with them to eat it here. Why not do it in the parking lot, for example? Yes, here in an hour or two you can get around every jug! Is it really unbearable?

Precautionary measures, first of all, boil down to the possibility of stumbling upon a mine. Although the territories of the seven pitcher locations are safe, it is better not to deviate to the side. Special marks with the inscription MAG (Mine Advisory Group) are installed on the places cleared from the bombs. On the side of the white stripe - an area without mines.

How to get to the valleys of jugs (on the map of Laos)

Pitcher Courts Map

As I already wrote, we visited 3 main locations of jugs in Laos (No. 1, 2, 3). However, there are a few more relatively accessible locations around Phonsavan. I know about the existence of at least 4 more locations cleared of mines: Nos. 16, 23, 25, 52. For the purpose of exploring the surroundings. We used a mobile application with offline maps for navigation, maps.me.

Decoding of labels on the map:

• Red is the main landmark, the tourist center of Phonsavan.
• Blue - location number 1 of the valley of the pitchers.
• Yellow - location number 2 of the valley of the pitchers.
• Green - location number 3 of the valley of the pitchers.
• Orange - a quarry and an area with unfinished jugs.
• Purple is the estimated point of location number 16.

There is another schematic map, photographed from the Italian - the bike rental company:

V tourist center a colorful rather conventional map in the form of drawings of jugs was noticed. To my great regret, I did not take a photo of the valley. You can find it on the spot.

Location 1

• Working hours: Mon-Fri 8.00-11.30 and 13.30-16.00. It will be problematic to get to the pitchers outside of working hours.
• Ticket prices: entrance - 15,000 kip ($ 2), bike parking - 3,000 kip ($ 0.38).
• Coordinates: 19.431653, 103.15411.
• How to get there: from highway 7 (asphalt), passing along the city of Phonsavan, you need to take road 1D (asphalt). After 6 km, there will be a right turn. After a few tens of meters, a dusty fine-gravel road will begin, but after 2 km you will find yourself at the ticket office building and parking lot. From the cash register to the jugs, they are driven by electric cars, although the distance there is not very long, it is quite possible to walk on foot.

Location 2

• Working hours:
• Ticket prices:
• Coordinates: 19.318857, 103.15275.
• How to get there: from highway 7 (asphalt), passing along the city of Phonsavan, you need to take road 1D (asphalt). After 9 km, there will be a right turn. Here drive 4 km along a wide dirt road and turn left. Continue for 2.5 km and turn left again near the sign near the village of Nak Ho and drive another 1.5 km. After the ticket office, you need to walk about 600 m (we were allowed to ride a bike). Then you will see steps (paths) to the hill on the right and left. In general, the pitchers will be there and there.

Location 3

• Working hours: not installed. Judging by the situation, it is possible to get to the jugs even when the ticket office is closed.
• Ticket prices: entrance - 10,000 kip ($ 1.25), bike parking - free.
• Coordinates: 19.292784, 103.15045.
• How to get there: from highway 7 (asphalt), passing along the city of Phonsavan, you need to take road 1D (asphalt). After 9 km, there will be a right turn. Here drive 4 km along a wide dirt road and turn left. Continue 6.5 km (after turning to Location No. 2 and the village of Nak Ho) and turn left at the signpost (before reaching the village of Cha Ho), drive another 1.7 km, where there will be an exit to the ticket office on the right. Immediately after the ticket office you need to go across the bridge. Then you will come out to rice fields through which you need to go further. Keep to the path that will lead a little to the right. Focus on a hill with trees among the fields, this is where the jugs will be.

Other locations of the valley of the jugs

The owner of the bike winced a lot when he heard about our desire to visit other valleys of jugs. He explained his reaction by the fact that it was far and problematic. For lack of time, limited, we did not search for these places (like other mysterious archaeological sites of the megalith more than a hundred kilometers from Phonsavan in the neighboring province). They regretted this very much literally in a few days, being already far from here - in Vang Vieng. Only there an idea came to mind. They bit my elbows, of course, but what to do. The next time we visit Southeast Asia, we will definitely fill in the numerous "holes" in Laos!

Other sites:

• Quarry and unfinished jugs - coordinates: 19.47862, 103.0872, entrance 10 thousand kip.
• №16 - behind the old provincial capital of Muang Khoun.
• №23 – near a large hot spring outside the city called Muang Kham.
• №52 - the largest of the valleys (392 jugs). Located in Ban Phakeo (Phouxeo?) Area. Getting here is not very easy. You need to walk some distance. I read that there is a traditional Hmong village nearby.
• №25 - somewhere in the area of ​​the city of Muang Phukoot (Phoukout?).

Explored the Valley of the Pitchers in Laos

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There is a place in Laos called the Valley of the Pitchers. The name of the area was not accidental. There are hundreds of stone ... not stupas, not pools, not cisterns, but capacious (mostly) containers.

It would seem that what could be simpler than a stone container? Take a boulder, hollow out a cavity inside - and use it! But if a product is complex in shape, equipped with a lid like a saucepan, dug into the ground and has cyclopean dimensions - what is it? How was it used? Who needs it? When was it created?

There are no unequivocal answers to these questions. Due to the impossibility of carrying out full-scale archaeological excavations, the solution of the historical problem is postponed for an indefinite future.

War was raging in the Valley of Pitchers ...

This is why archaeological research - as well as any tourist activities - is prohibited in the Valley of the Pitchers, and access to dangerous areas is closed. Meanwhile, stone containers of similar structure, found here, as well as in Thailand and India, are very unusual and interesting.

In some places, the ban is not particularly strict, and you can see the legendary jugs!

Legends of the Valley of the Pitchers

Those who do not believe in giants talk about caravans that wandered across Southeast Asia and needed long-term storage of food and water. It was as if these caravan men had hollowed out both containers and lids from the stone - and used them for centuries.

The adherents of funeral and ritual traditions (they consider any artifact found as a cult object) speak of the use of stone jugs as either sarcophagi, or tombs, or containers for storing the ashes of rulers buried in fire.

Tourists like the version that tells about King Khung Chung, who decided to celebrate the victory in the next internecine feud with abundant libation. Given the large number of troops and the weak intoxicating ability of rice and millet mash, a lot of containers for preparing drinks were required!

True, in this case, a huge army of stonecutters would have to be seated for chiselling the stone. Where can one get so many qualified personnel and suitable tools? After all, iron at that time was almost unknown ...

The locals have simplified the legend to a mere taboo. Say, in jugs under heavy lids they put evil caught among people. Languishing in a trap, it slowly absorbed into the stone. Therefore, children are forbidden not only to get inside, but even to touch stone jugs!

A particularly exotic theory says about placing stone jugs (or under their bottoms) and other treasures in the bodies.

The mysterious age of the finds in the Valley of the Pitchers

But who could spend three hundred years cutting and gouging hundreds and hundreds of boulders, some of which weighed a dozen tons? And if unknown craftsmen made some utilitarian containers - why did they often leave a too thick layer of stone? Too thick walls reduce the capacity of the vessel ...

Anthropological findings also support the hypothesis of the long-standing origin of stone jugs. Human remains were found by Australian specialists working in the Pitcher Valley cleared area. Radiocarbon analysis gave the exact age of the bones - 2500 years.

Is the valley of the jugs an ancient cemetery?

The pits, filled with bones, were covered with a massive gravestone, and the dead were not disturbed. While the accumulation of bones was going on to fill the new pit, the remains were stored in one of the stone or ceramic jugs.

However, simple calculations give startling results that have little to do with reality. In the Valley of Jugs alone, there are more than a thousand vessels of various sizes. Considering the "productivity" of jugs as sarcophagi, it should be assumed that this funeral enterprise was serviced by a multimillion-dollar city. There is no trace of the existence of any large settlement near the Valley of the Pitchers!

Then the Valley of the Jars is a warehouse?

There is no need to talk about storing water or wine in vessels. The warm climate of Laos will not allow the liquid to be kept in a usable form.

Jug Valley Exploration History

Having found artifacts of the Bronze Age and fragments of human bones in and around jugs, Parmentier lost interest in the Valley and left home. Madeleine Colani, who replaced her compatriot in the scientific post, worked with great zeal.

Having made the assumption about the existence of a forgotten civilization in these places, Madeleine released a two-volume review of her findings. The archaeological community got acquainted with the published materials, did not see a sensation in them - and the book was no longer reprinted, and it was not translated into other languages.

The resumption of research took place at the very end of the twentieth century. The Japanese Nitta and the Lao Tong-Sa found several burials in the Valley of Jugs, and decorative images were found on one of the stone vessels.

In total, over the 115 years that have elapsed since the discovery of the Valley of Pitchers, not a single secret of the origin and use of stone containers has been solved, and the hypotheses expressed have remained unproven and unrejected.

What is known about the stone containers from the Valley of the Pitchers?

The height of stone products ranges from 30 cm to 3.5 m. The largest jug weighs about 10 tons. Most of the large jugs weigh two tons.

With the stone jugs, a certain number of stone lids have been preserved. There is every reason to believe that each vessel was previously equipped with an individual lid. However, most of them were directed by people to more urgent tasks.

Some of the surviving covers are simple discs carved from stone. Some are real works of art, decorated with stylized carvings of people and animals.

The materials for the jugs and lids are local natural stones. Here is a quote from a laboratory study report of a group of stone jugs: “Both raw and polished containers are made of,. Some of the vessels have several types of rocks in the structure of their walls. "

In this case, we are talking about natural fusion, and not an artificial connection of different types of rocks. In addition, the examination refuted the working hypothesis about the possible manufacture of jugs from artificial stone (concrete). The presence of artifacts (stone, bronze, iron plates) nearby the jugs, which could qualify as a tool, speaks in favor of the masonry hypothesis of the origin of the vessels.

True, the locals acquainted the researchers with oral (and absolutely false) legends, which reported on the preparation of a plastic mass from boiled collagen, sugar syrup, and mineral fillers.

There is no more reliable information about stone jugs.

The Valley of the Pitchers: An Equation of Only Variables

• find out who made hundreds of stone jugs and why;
• lost covers (at least a part);
• to clarify the dating of the manufacture of each of the stone jugs;
• understand the technology of making massive vessels;
• find quarries and work out the technology of transporting raw blocks to the place where jugs are made.

Many scientists are trying to solve the riddle Plane of Jars located in Xieng Khouang province. The Valley of the Jugs is also called the "Asian Stonehenge" - it is a strange and mysterious archaeological monument of culture, consisting of thousands of giant stone jugs made of sandstone, granite and hardened coral.

Since their discovery back in 1920, the jugs have been a source of inspiration for scientists and archaeologists, since these vessels reach a height of 1 to 3 meters, and each of them weighs up to 13 tons. It is believed that they were created 2 thousand years ago, but their true purpose remains shrouded in mystery and legends.

Numerous theories and assumptions have arisen about the purpose of the pitchers. The first archaeological excavations conducted by the French archaeologist Madeleine Colan in the 1930s, she is sure that the giant buildings were created by representatives of a very ancient civilization and were used for funeral rituals as vessels for storing ashes. Madeleine also found a cave with burials and ash in the vicinity of the valley. According to another version, jugs were used to store food and various substances. It is also widely believed that the jugs collected rainwater to support trade caravans. The jugs are placed in a precise order, possibly indicating an ancient trade route.

According to one of the Laotian legends, huge giants lived in this valley long ago and the jugs belonged to them. Another legend says that the jugs were made by King Khung Chung after he defeated his enemies. They were intended to make large quantities of lao lao rice wine in honor of the victory.

Despite the fact that more than 400 pitcher sites have been discovered, only three sites are open to tourists. The largest of them has 250 stone vessels and is called site number 1, it is located near the city of Phonsavan.

Despite its remote location, the Valley of the Jugs still suffered greatly from the Vietnam War. A very large number of bombs were dropped in Laos between the 1960s and 1970s. Since that battle, stone jugs have kept their scars in the form of cracks in the walls and huge craters between them.

Undoubtedly, the plain of vessels would attract much more tourists, if not for the fact that more than 30% of the dropped bombs have not yet exploded, and remain lost and scattered throughout the valley. According to researchers, approximately 250,000 hidden booby traps are still in Laos, and tragic incidents associated with them are reported almost every week.

Perhaps someday it will be possible to unravel the mystery of the plain of vessels, but for now, be careful when traveling to Laos!

The Valley of Jugs is a group of unique sites that store unusual historical and archaeological monuments - huge stone jugs. These mysterious objects are located in Xieng Khouang province, Laos. Thousands of gigantic stone vessels are scattered among the dense tropical flora. The size of the jugs ranges from 0.5 to 3 meters, and the weight of the largest reaches 6 thousand kg. Most of the giant stone pots are cylindrical in shape, but oval and rectangular jugs are also found. Round discs were found next to unusual vessels, which were supposedly used as lids for them. These pots were made from granite, sandstone, rocks and calcined coral. Scientists suggest that the age of the stone bowls is 1500-2000 years.

Interesting? Let's understand in more detail ...

Until now, scientists cannot determine the age of these creations of human hands. And maybe not human. Huge vessels are scattered over a large area. It was as if the giants were gathering for a picnic and had a lot of fun. It is believed that they are about 2,000 years old, but no one knows for sure. As they do not know who created them and why. Even more mysterious is the fact that there is no nearby rock from which these jugs are made. And dragging 6-ton artifacts across mountainous terrain from afar is not a very joyful activity.
There are three large sites in the vicinity of Phonsavan. Getting to them is not easy. Tuk-tuk drivers will offer their services, but they will break the sky-high prices. The alternative is a motorbike. Having decided on this, remember that the path is not short and rather difficult.

The mysterious Valley of jars (Plain of jars) is located in the country of Laos, namely not far from the city of Phonsavan on the plateau of the province (khwenge) of Xianghuang. Scientists have established that the period of vascular origin dates back to 500 BC. - 500 AD (Iron Age). At the moment, more than 90 places of pitchers have been found in the valley, the number of which in each varies from 1 to 392 pieces. In diameter, the sizes of vessels vary from 1 to 3 meters, they are carved from rocks and have a cylindrical shape. Many jugs have a rim at the opening, suggesting that they had lids. Teeth, glass beads, fragments of ceramic stone and bronze items, and bone tissue were found inside and near the megalithic jugs. There are many different versions of the origin of the mysterious valley of jugs, the most basic ones I will list below.

VERSION 1: THE GREATS
This is, rather, not a version, but a legend. According to one of the Laotian legends, huge giants lived in this valley long ago and the jugs belonged to them. Another legend says that the jugs were made by King Khung Chung after he defeated his enemies. They were intended to make large quantities of lao lao rice wine in honor of the victory.

VERSION 2: TRADING ROUTE
Some sources mention that similar stone jugs have also been found in countries such as India and Indonesia. Their locations coincide with trade routes. Due to this circumstance, there is a hypothesis that the jugs were made for merchants from different countries. During monsoons, rainwater was collected in stone vessels, and travelers and animals could quench their thirst. Found beads and other objects could well serve as an offering to the gods, so that rain came down and filled the jugs with water.

VERSION 3: FUNERAL RIGHTS
An interesting fact is that a cave was found near location number 1, in which two artificial holes were created. Traces of soot have been preserved inside. It is believed that this cave served as a crematorium, and the holes were chimneys. The condition of the objects and remains found in the jugs indicate signs of cremation, and around the flasks - to burials without incineration. There are several interpretations in the explanations for this fact.

One of the theories. The bodies of the upper strata of the population may have been cremated so that their souls went to heaven, and the commoners were buried so that their souls were servants of the earth.

Another version. As an option, the body of the deceased was placed in a jug, and after some time, when the soul departed to another world, cremated, and then buried again.

Third interpretation. It is likely that at first one person was buried in a jug, and for many years the relatives of the deceased were buried around the vessel.

The first archaeological excavations were carried out by the French archaeologist Madeleine Colan in the 1930s, she is sure that the giant buildings were created by representatives of a very ancient civilization and were used for funeral rituals as vessels for storing ashes. Madeleine also found a cave with burials and ash in the vicinity of the valley. According to another version, jugs were used to store food and various substances.

CURRENT STATE OF THE VALLEY OF JUGS
During the Secret War (1964-1973), American bombs exploded well in this region of Laos. The territory of Xianghuan province is still overrun with millions of unexploded mines. Not only were many of the jugs damaged and destroyed as a result of the bombing, but access to most of the locations of the vessels is still limited and extremely dangerous. Clearing the shells is not a cheap process for the poor Lao PDR. In this regard, the country calls on the valley of jugs to be given the status of a "UNESCO World Heritage Site" in order to attract funding from outside to clear the surrounding territories from mines. At the moment (April 2015), only seven pitcher locations are considered safe: the most visited Nos. 1, 2, 3 and less popular Nos. 16, 23, 25, 52.

Despite the fact that more than 400 pitcher sites have been discovered, only three sites are open to tourists. The largest of them has 250 stone vessels and is called site number 1, it is located near the city of Phonsavan.

Despite its remote location, the Valley of the Jugs still suffered greatly from the Vietnam War. A very large number of bombs were dropped in Laos between the 1960s and 1970s. Since that battle, stone jugs have kept their scars in the form of cracks in the walls and huge craters between them.

Undoubtedly, the plain of vessels would attract much more tourists, if not for the fact that more than 30% of the dropped bombs have not yet exploded, and remain lost and scattered throughout the valley. According to researchers, approximately 250,000 hidden booby traps are still in Laos, and tragic incidents associated with them are reported almost every week.

Perhaps someday it will be possible to unravel the mystery of the plain of vessels, but for now, be careful when traveling to Laos!

The authorities are considering the issue of granting the Valley of Kuvshinov UNESCO World Heritage Site. The difficulty of appropriation is that Xieng Khouang was bombed American Air Force during the Secret War, in the 70s. This is the reason why much of this amazing valley is inaccessible to tourists.

During the bombing, not only the pitchers were damaged, but the field itself, which today has many deep craters. Collectors have taken all the smaller jugs out of the hills long ago. But, despite this fact, there are still hundreds of specimens left in place, which are located in five groups. Tourists visit the most accessible place. It is called Thong Hai Hin. It is worth noting that this is where the largest of all the jugs is located.

On Xieng Khouang plateau in total, there are more than 4,000 jugs, but 3 sites are officially considered a tourist area:

• The first is located 10 km south-west of Phonsavan, it is the largest, there are about 250 jugs there, and the weight of the largest is 3.7 tons. And there is also a cave in which, according to legend, the giants burned these same jugs. The entrance is paid, in my opinion the ticket cost around 10,000 kip.
• The second site is located 15 kilometers from the city, on the hills near the village of Siengdi, where about 150 jugs have been preserved.
• The latter is located a little further than the second, about 27 km from Phonsavan.

On numerous posters in travel agencies in Luang Prabang, photos of different minivans and VIP buses flaunt, but in fact it turned out that only one bus goes there a day with bus station... The cost of a bus ticket in travel agencies is 120,000 kip, and they sold it to us under the guise of VIP BUS tickets. buy a ticket in advance, travel time is about 8 hours with a couple of stops.