Jars in a financial jam

XIENG KHOUANG  Funding has run out for a project to collect data to support a bid to win UNESCO World Heritage listing for the Plain of Jars in Xieng Khouang, Laos.
Lao News Agency reported the lack of budget would delay the application to UNESCO.
The country is considered one of the poorest in Asia and requires considerable foreign aid to execute development projects. Asian Development Bank is a major donor for infrastructure projects related to tourism.
Xieng Khouang governor, Somkot Mangnomek, was quoted saying: “If we had the money to complete data collection and succeeded with the listing application, then tourism would increase.”
inside no 6It takes at least two years to prepare material for UNESCO to consider a destination for the World Heritage list.
The Xieng Khouang Information, Culture and Tourism Department was conducting a study in accordance with conditions set down by UNESCO.
The study and data collection is going to take a significant amount of time as it must cover 2,000 stone jars. 70 areas have registered but there still remains 50 more that need to be surveyed.

The centuries-old Plain of Jars is a megalithic archaeological landscape thought to date back 2,500 to 3,000 years. The biggest of the jars are than 3 metres high with circumferences of 8 metres.
Local authorities of the province have mobilised local people to participate in the maintenance of the Plain of Jars.
According to the tourism development plan for 2013 to 2015, the government plans to request UNESCO listing for the Plain of Jars before it embarks on the same process for Hin Nam Nor in Khammuan province.
Luang Prabang is the original World Heritage town in Laos. Last year over 500,000 tourists visited Luang Prabang, the report said.

sourced:ttrweekly.com