Phonsavan: Plain of Jars and Culture

Plain of Jars sites around Phonsavan

Several archaeological jar sites lie around Phonsavan, each with a different location, size and arrangement. Site 1 is about 15 km southwest of Phonsavan and has around 300 jars. Site 2 is about 25 km to the south, where around 90 jars are spread across two hills. Site 3 is about 35 km southeast and has around 150 jars. The three sites are therefore in different directions and also differ in scale.

Site 3 is also known as Ban Xieng Di and Hai Hin Lat Khai. It consists of seven groups and is located near the village of Ban Xieng Di in Phaxay District. With its seven groups, Site 3 is arranged differently from Site 2, whose jars are spread across two hills. When comparing the sites, you can consider their different layouts as well as the number of jars.

Tours and cultural perspectives

Travel agencies in Phonsavan offer tours to the jar sites of Sites 2 and 3, often combined with a visit to the former provincial capital of Muang Khoun. This allows you to combine a visit to the sites with another historical destination. If you are considering such a combination, check the specific tour options with the agencies for your preferred date.

Nearby in Phonsavan, the Xieng Khouang Provincial Museum has a permanent exhibition on the archaeology, history and living cultures of Laos’s Xieng Khouang Province. The museum offers a distinct cultural perspective alongside the jar sites, ranging from archaeological topics to the province’s history and living cultures. If you would like to explore a broader range of themes during your stay, you can include this in your plans.

A small family-run restaurant near the map stand at Site 3 serves drinks and noodle soup. If you would like to plan a stop there, check in advance whether a visit is possible.

Xieng Khouang in a broader context

The wider travel destination of Xieng Khouang includes the Plain of Jars, with more than 2,100 tube-shaped megalithic stone jars. They were used for burial practices during the Iron Age; the archaeological sites date from 500 BC to 500 AD. This places the individual jar sites within a long archaeological history.

The landscape of the Plain of Jars in Xieng Khouang is also distinctive: grassy hills are surrounded by steeper, forested hills and higher mountains. Regional history reaches back to the Tai Puan, who had formed an independent principality at the Plain of Jars by the 13th century. It flourished through long-distance trade in metals and forest products. The landscape, archaeology and history thus offer different perspectives on Xieng Khouang.

Planning excursions and accommodation together

When choosing a holiday rental in Phonsavan, the focus of your stay may be a factor. If Sites 2 and 3 are your main destinations, the tours offered by agencies in Phonsavan are a practical consideration for your plans. If you would also like to explore the province’s archaeology, history and living cultures, the museum offers an additional perspective.

Discover more destinations

Discover more destinations: Ban Khon, Ban Chao Lao, Ban Hai.

To the wider travel overview: Xieng Khouang.