At the Plain of Jars, in different sites, hundreds of giant jars can be found. The biggest of them are 3 meters high, weighing about 6 tonnes. The jars are made out of rocks from the mountains in this area. The origin of the jars is still a mystery and also it is not clear for what purpose they were made.

The general assumption is that they were made 2500 to 3000 years ago, by the people that were then living on this plain. Some scientist believe they were used as funeral urns, as some bones and bronze and iron tools were found around at the sites.

During the Vietnam war, the area suffered some heavy bombarding. As a result you can see bomb craters everywhere in the landscape. Until today, a lot of unexploded ordnance (UXO) lies around here, so it is important not to get off the road or path. You can visit the three main sites on an easy daytrip from Phonsavan, where a lot of Accommodation is available.

• The Plain of Jars website