The Plain of Jars, Xieng Khuang Province
This province of Laos is clustered with these huge jars carved from sandstone. Estimated to be as much as 4000 years old, no one really knows for sure what the purpose of the jars was. The Plain of Jars became known by the west during the US Secret War of bombing Laos during the late 60s and early 70s. This area was constanly bombed for nearly 10 years due to the proximety of the Ho Chi Minh trail - the main supply route from Northen Vietnam to the battle fields further south. We flew out of Phonsavan in a small plane the next day, and the huge bomb craters are still visible as far as the eye can see.
The conquest of Vietnam by France began in 1858 and was completed by 1884. It became part of French Indochina in 1887. Independence was declared after World War II, but the French continued to rule until 1954 when they were defeated by Communist forc... ... read more 
