- Location: Sianghuang, Phonsavan, Laos
What can be more exciting than the ancient riddles of history? Civilizations that existed long before our time, make the greatest minds of our time bred in amazement with their hands, asking the same questions again and again. Plunge into such an atmosphere of the unknown and mysterious is possible in Laos , in particular - in the Valley of pitchers Jha.
What is attractive for tourists?
The valley of the pitchers is a huge territory located in the province of Sianghuang, in the vicinity of the city of Phonsavan . Its main feature is the huge stone statues, reminiscent of the shape of the vessels. Their size ranges from 0.5 m to 3 m, and the weight by some sources reaches 10 tons!
Giant bowls have the shape of cylinders, with some exceptions there are oval and rectangular vessels. Near the jugs from time to time you can see the flat round discs, which are supposedly used as covers. Analyzing the structure of stone sculptures, scientists came to the conclusion that they were made of rock, granite, sandstone and calcined coral. The age of the pitchers ranges from 1500 to 2000 years. Even more surprising mystery were the finds on the bottom of the vessels - beads, human teeth, fragments of bronze and ceramic products, bone tissue.
Structurally the territory is conditionally divided into several parts - depending on the largest aggregate of stone bowls. 3 km from Phonsavan is one of them, here the Valley of Jars counts about 250 vessels. This area is especially popular with tourists, as the road to it requires the least financial costs. Two other sites are located 20 km and 40 km from the city respectively. It should be noted that there are clusters of stone vessels in other places, but for tourists it is not safe there - continually there are unexploded shells from the time of military conflicts.
To date, the study of the Valley of Jha, also called the Valley of Earthenware Jars, continues. Now Laos is working closely with scientists from Belgium and Austria. In addition, the government of the country is seeking to acquire the status of a UNESCO World Heritage Site for this landmark .
Theories of origin
There are several hypotheses regarding the origin of the Valley of Jars:
- The most fantastic of them claims that once there lived giants in this area. When their king triumphed over sworn enemies, he ordered to make stone vessels, in which it was possible to cook as much rice wine as necessary to quench the thirst of the giants.
- The second theory recalls that once similar stone containers were found in the vastness of India and Indonesia. Their position coincided with the direction of the main trade routes. Hence, some scientists put forward the hypothesis that pitchers were made for traders from different countries. In particular, they collected rainwater in themselves, so that later travelers could quench their thirst and water the animals. Beads, found on the bottom, are regarded in this case as an offering to the gods.
- And, finally, the most realistic is the theory of the participation of stone vessels in funeral rituals. In one of the pitchers, traces of soot and two artificially made holes were found. In this regard, we can conclude that the statue was a kind of crematorium.
How to get to the Valley of Jars?
There is no local transport in Phonsavan . Therefore, you will have to get to this attraction either by sightseeing bus for $ 10, or by using the services of tuk-tuk. In addition, in the city you can always rent a bicycle for $ 2.5 or motobike for $ 12. From Phongsavan to the Valley of Jugs is 1D, the road by car takes no more than 15 minutes.