What is the Plain of Jars?

It is an archaeological landscape featuring stone jars set across the valleys and foothills of the Xiangkhoang Plateau.

How are the jars distributed across the landscape?

The stone vessels are situated in clusters across upland valleys and lower foothills.

What legend describes the origin of the vessels?

Folklore tells of an ancient giant king named Khun Cheung who created vessels to store rice wine known as lau hai after defeating Chao Angka.

What composition does local tradition attribute to the jars?

Legend states the vessels were fashioned from a mix containing sand, clay, sugar, and animal products.

Where is the archaeological landscape located?

The stone clusters are situated on the central plain and foothills of the Xiangkhoang Plateau in Laos.

Muang Phônsavan · Laos

Plain of Jars: what's nearby, how to get there and when to go · 2026

Long-term fieldwork across the Xiangkhoang Plateau requires adapting to remote upland valleys where ancient megalithic sites border active agricultural plots.

About the place

Now in the cityPlain of Jars+18°CFogupdated 07:12 AM

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About the place

Megalithic stone vessels stand grouped across the upland valleys of the Xiangkhoang Plateau.

Stone vessels remain grouped across the upland valleys and lower foothills of the Xiangkhoang Plateau. These megalithic remnants form distinct clusters across the central plains. Fieldwork here demands extensive travel between isolated rural settlements, where ancient archaeological relics occupy open ridges and agricultural ground alongside daily farming routines.

Read on

Local traditions attribute the masonry to ancient giants led by King Khun Cheung following a victorious battle against Chao Angka. Folklore recounts that the jars served to ferment and preserve celebratory rice wine known as lau hai. Regional lore also suggests the containers were molded from a mixture of clay, sand, sugar, and animal matter rather than carved entirely from bedrock.

Associations

Xiangkhoang PlateauHighland landscape framing the scattered megalithic clusters across valleys.
King Khun CheungMythical ruler linked in regional folklore to the creation of the vessels.
Lau HaiTraditional rice wine associated with legendary victory celebrations here.
Chao AngkaDefeated adversary named in the plateau lore surrounding the jar sites.

Facts

The megalithic stone vessels are arranged in clusters across upland valleys and lower foothills of the Xiangkhoang Plateau.
Regional folklore identifies King Khun Cheung as the creator of the vessels following a victory over Chao Angka.
According to local tradition, the massive containers were utilized to brew and store celebratory rice wine called lau hai.
Local lore describes the vessels as being molded from a blend of clay, sand, sugar, and animal products.

Updated September 21, 2026Source: Wikipedia

Plain of Jars: what's nearby, how to get there and when to go · 2026

Megalithic stone vessels stand grouped across the upland valleys of the Xiangkhoang Plateau.

Getting there and staying

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