Phonsavan: Jar Sites, History and Crafts

Phonsavan is a destination for visitors interested in jar sites, regional history and local crafts. The nearby sites differ in location, scale and layout. If you’re looking for a hotel in Phonsavan, these cultural highlights can help you get a sense of the destination; Xieng Khouang Province has further historical and natural connections to explore.

Jar sites nearby

Site 1 is about 15 km southwest of Phonsavan and includes around 300 jars. Site 2 is about 25 km to the south; there, around 90 jars are spread across two hills. Site 3 is about 35 km to the southeast and includes around 150 jars. It consists of seven groups and is also known as Ban Xieng Di or Hai Hin Lat Khai. The site is near Ban Xieng Di village in Phaxay District. If you’re searching for Site 3, you may come across both names: Ban Xieng Di and Hai Hin Lat Khai.

Tours and cultural sites

Travel agencies in Phonsavan offer tours to Jar Sites 2 and 3, often combined with a visit to the former provincial capital of Muang Khoun. If this combination suits your travel plans, confirm specific dates and the itinerary directly with an agency. Muang Khoun’s former status as the capital makes it a distinct historical highlight on these combined tours.

Beyond the jar sites, there are other cultural perspectives to explore. The Xieng Khouang Provincial Museum has a permanent exhibition devoted to the archaeology, history and living cultures of Laos’s Xieng Khouang Province. South of Phonsavan is Ban Napia village, where spoons are made from scrap metal left over from the war. Alongside archaeological sites, visitors can also learn about the province’s history in an exhibition and discover a local craft tradition.

The wider setting: Xieng Khouang

In the wider destination of Xieng Khouang, the Plain of Jars contains more than 2,100 tubular megalithic stone jars that were used for burial practices during the Iron Age. The archaeological sites date from 500 BC to 500 AD. The landscape of the Plain of Jars consists of grassy hills surrounded by steeper, forested hills and higher mountains. This regional context adds to the picture of the individual jar sites around Phonsavan.

The region’s history extends beyond the dating of the jar sites: by the 13th century, the Tai Puan had formed an independent principality on the Plain of Jars, which prospered through long-distance trade in metals and forest products. Xieng Khouang Province lies on the mountainous Tran-Ninh Plateau at an elevation of more than 1,000 metres and has mild temperatures for most of the year.

In the wider destination of Xieng Khouang, visitors can explore surviving structures from the former Phuan Kingdom in Khoun Town on foot or by bicycle. An easy path near Khoun Town leads to the seated Buddha at Vat Phiawat, built in 1564. These places offer further cultural points of interest in the province.

For the wider travel overview: Xieng Khouang.