XIENG KHUANG REVEALS NEW TOURIST ATTRACTIONS

Xieng Khuang province is preparing to unveil Keng Mountain as a new tourist attraction in the Plain of Jars, to boost visitor numbers at the start of Visit Laos Year 2012.

The site is located 14km from the provincial capital and has 43 stone jars. Although the site needs better road access and electricity, it is scheduled to officially open on January 18, according to a provincial Tourism Department official.

Department Director Mr Khamphet Phommakaisone told Vientiane Times yesterday the ancient jars have been there for centuries. Some were not fully completed and the chiselled carvings extend for only 10 or 20 centimetres.

“The jars provide clues to the lives of people many centuries ago. Many people believe they were made in the era when people first began using metal implements for carving,” he said.

Visitors can not only view the jars, but can also see a tunnel that was made during the Indochina War when soldiers dug through the entire hillside to avoid enemy bombing raids.

Mr Khamphet said visitors can also enjoy the beautiful scenery at the site and views over Phonsavanh and Phoukoud districts.

When the site has been fully developed, it will have a surfaced access road, electricity, an information centre, parking, toilets, restaurant, hotel and other facilities.

Although some tourist sites are preparing to open, others require further development such as roads, toilets and electricity, as well as notice boards that provide tourists with information.

Mr Khamphet said the department also plans to improve the access road to Elephant Cave (Tham Xang). Another attraction is So Mountain, the home of the ethnic Phuan people, who built ladders here to launch home-made missiles during the Boun Bangfai (Rocket Festival) as long as 700 years ago.

The department has made a replica of the kind of rocket that was used at that time. The rocket was made out of wood by local people and is about 2 metres wide and 21 metres long. Some 180 people were needed to carry it to its resting place on the hillside.

According to a report, authorities expect the rocket, cave and the newly opened jar site to generate more income for local people, helping them to rise above poverty.

Tourism infrastructure has developed significantly in recent years and Xieng Khuang is now regarded as one of the top tourist destinations in Laos.

More than 100,000 tourists visit Xieng Khuang province each year, injecting billions of kip into the local economy.

Meanwhile, the Plain of Jars has been nominated for World Heritage Site status for its significant archaeological, historical and natural value.