Xiangkhoang Province
Encyclopedia
Xiangkhouang is a province of Laos
, located in the north-east of the country. It was heavily bombed during the Vietnam War
era.
Originally known as Muang Phouan, the famous Plain of Jars
is located here. Many people talk with a slightly different accent than the usual Vientiane
accent. Lum Phuan is highly popular in this region. The capital is Phonsavan
.
. The Tai Phuan or Phuan people are a Buddhist Tai-Lao ethnic group that migrated to Laos from southern China
and by the 13th century had formed the independent principality Muang Phuan at the Plain of Jars
with Xieng Khouang (the contemporary Muang Khoun) as the capital. They prospered from the overland trade in metals and forest products. In the mid-14th century, Muang Phuan was incorporated into the Lan Xang
Kingdom under King Fa Ngum
.
The Phuan population were able to retain a high degree of autonomy although they had to pay tax and tribute to Lan Xang. During the 16th century expressive Buddhist art
and architecture flourished. The capital was dotted with temples in a distinct Xieng Khouang style, i.e. simple low roofs with a characteristic ‘waist’ at the foundation. In 1930 Le Boulanger described it as ‘a large and beautiful city protected by wide moats and forts occupying the surrounding hills and the opulence of the sixty-two pagodas and their stupas, of which the flanks concealed treasures, obtained the capital a fame that spread fear wide and far.”
After the Kingdom of Siam, contemporary Thailand
, extended control to Lao territories east of the Mekong
in the 1770s, Muang Phuan became a Siamese vassal state and also maintained tributary relations with Dai Viet (Vietnam). To exert greater control of the lands and people of Muang Phuan
, the Siamese launched three separate campaigns (1777–79, 1834–36 and 1875/76) to resettle large parts of the Phuan population to the south in regions under firm Siamese control. Subsequent invasions by Haw marauders
, splinter groups of ex-Taiping Revolution rebels from Southern China plundered Luang Prabang and Xieng Khuang in the 1870s, and desecrated and destroyed the temples of the Phuan region.
The Franco-Siamese treaties of the 1890s placed Xieng Khouang under colonial rule as part of French Indochina
until briefly after World War II. The French used Xieng Khouang today called Muang Khoun as their provincial capital. A few ruinous colonial public buildings remain such as the governor’s residence, church and the French school.
During the Second Indochina War that raged in Laos during the 1960s and early 1970s Xieng Khouang suffered heavy aerial bombing. Since Laos
gained full independence in 1975, Xieng Khouang and the Plain of Jars are enjoying peace and tranquility after centuries of conflict. More details next section.
seized Vientiane in a coup d’etat; but rightist forces, backed by the U.S. marched on Vientiane from the south and forced the neutralists to retreat. They moved back to the Plain of Jars and set up their headquarters in Muang Sui. Fighting ensued between the two sides until a second coalition government was formed in 1962. During this time a section of the neutralists developed good relationships to the Neo Lao Hak Sat (NLHS), the communist led Lao Patriotic Front and so some joined forces with the NLHS. From then on Xieng Khouang, along with neighbouring Houaphanh became one of the major theatres in the Lao Civil War.
From 1964 to 1973 Laos was a battlefield in a war. Both the USA and North Vietnam acted in direct contravention of the Geneva Accord of 1962, which recognized the neutrality of Laos and forbade the presence of all foreign military personnel. The war was so secret that the name of the country was banished from all communications. To evade the Geneva agreement the USA placed CIA agents in foreign-aid posts and temporarily turned air force officers into civil pilots. U.S. military trained the Royal Army as well as Hmong hill tribe guerrillas under the charismatic General Vang Pao
, himself a Hmong. Muang Sui (Ban Nong Tang) once a city of antique Buddha temples and quaint provincial architecture, became a landing site also called” Lima Site”, used by US Aircraft. By the early 1970s more than 400 military runways were set up in the country. The Pathet Lao
(PL) leadership allowed 7 North Vietname Army (NVA) divisions into northeastern Laos. By 1964 the NVA and the PL had at least 16 anti-aircraft emplacements along with a vast underground arsenal.
Civil war also swept back and forth across Xieng Khouang and Royal Lao Air Force fighter bombers joined the fight. Later they were followed by US Phantom jet fighter bombers that focused on towns and villages which fell into NLHS hands. All these villages became “free fire” zones. In addition secret saturation bombing of Pathet Lao and the North Vietnamese Army strongholds was carried out, but the PL simply moved its headquarters into caves near Xam Neua. Besides the daily bombing ground combat took place between the Hmong army and the forces from Vietnam and Pathet Lao
. By 1973 almost every town in Xieng Khouang had been destroyed. Most of the population had fled and lived a subterranean existence in tunnels and caves or had been removed forcibly.
Laos endured some of the heaviest aerial bombing in history: 580,000 bombing missions unleashing around two tons of ordnance per inhabitant and at a cost of over 10 billion US dollars. Defoliants and herbicides were also dropped on Laos laying bare all vegetation, poisoning civilian crops and rendering the water system unusable even for irrigation.
Much of this bombing occurred in Xieng Khouang. The destruction which rained down on the province was partly an accident of geography. American pilots regularly took off from northeast Thailand for bombing missions in North Vietnam and along the Ho Chi Minh trail but bad weather often prevented them from reaching their targets. Pilots couldn’t risk landing with their bombs aboard, and the added weight burned too much fuel. So they jettisoned their ordnance over eastern Laos. Deep bomb craters are scattered all over the province and the extent of the bombardment can still be seen around Ban Khai (1), 30 km northwest of Phonsavanh.
War scrap has become an important part of the local architecture and economy in the province. The bomb casings are refashioned into items of every day use - as fence posts, as substitute for the traditional wooden stilts, as plant cases for vegetables - or sold as scrap. Aluminum spoons sold in local markets are said to be fashioned from the war scrap of downed American aircraft. Casings being used like this can still be seen in many Xieng Khouang villages.
The district Thatom was reassigned from the special zone Xaisomboun when it was dissolved in January 2006.
Laos
Laos Lao: ສາທາລະນະລັດ ປະຊາທິປະໄຕ ປະຊາຊົນລາວ Sathalanalat Paxathipatai Paxaxon Lao, officially the Lao People's Democratic Republic, is a landlocked country in Southeast Asia, bordered by Burma and China to the northwest, Vietnam to the east, Cambodia to the south and Thailand to the west...
, located in the north-east of the country. It was heavily bombed during the Vietnam War
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
era.
Originally known as Muang Phouan, the famous Plain of Jars
Plain of Jars
The Plain of Jars is a megalithic archaeological landscape in Laos. Scattered in the landscape of the Xieng Khouang plateau Xieng Khouang, Lao PDR, are thousands of megalithic jars...
is located here. Many people talk with a slightly different accent than the usual Vientiane
Vientiane
-Geography:Vientiane is situated on a bend of the Mekong river, which forms the border with Thailand at this point.-Climate:Vientiane features a tropical wet and dry climate with a distinct monsoon season and a dry season. Vientiane’s dry season spans from November through March. April marks the...
accent. Lum Phuan is highly popular in this region. The capital is Phonsavan
Phonsavan
Phonsavan is the new capital of Xieng Khouang Province, Laos. The name stands for "hills of paradise".Phonsavan is the provincial capital of Xieng Khouang province. The countryside is soon dominated by green hills and pine forests. Villages consist of colourful wooden houses...
.
History
While the origin of the Plain of Jars` people is unknown, the recorded history of Xieng Khouang is interlinked with the Tai PhuanPhuan
The Phuan , also known as Tai Phuan, Thai Puan or Lao Phuan, are a Theravada Buddhist Tai people spread out in small pockets over most of the northeastern Isan region with other groups scattered in central Thailand and Laos . According to the Ethnologue Report, the Phuan number 204,704 and that is...
. The Tai Phuan or Phuan people are a Buddhist Tai-Lao ethnic group that migrated to Laos from southern China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
and by the 13th century had formed the independent principality Muang Phuan at the Plain of Jars
Plain of Jars
The Plain of Jars is a megalithic archaeological landscape in Laos. Scattered in the landscape of the Xieng Khouang plateau Xieng Khouang, Lao PDR, are thousands of megalithic jars...
with Xieng Khouang (the contemporary Muang Khoun) as the capital. They prospered from the overland trade in metals and forest products. In the mid-14th century, Muang Phuan was incorporated into the Lan Xang
Lan Xang
The Lao kingdom of Lan Xang Hom Kao was established in 1354 by Fa Ngum.Exiled as an infant to Cambodia, Prince Fa Ngum of Xieng Dong Xieng Thong married a daughter of the Khmer king. In 1349 he set out from Angkor at the head of a 10,000-man army to establish his own country...
Kingdom under King Fa Ngum
Fa Ngum
Somdetch Brhat-Anya Fa Ladhuraniya Sri Sadhana Kanayudha Maharaja Brhat Rajadharana Sri Chudhana Negara better known as Fa Ngum established the Lao kingdom of Lan Xang in 1354....
.
The Phuan population were able to retain a high degree of autonomy although they had to pay tax and tribute to Lan Xang. During the 16th century expressive Buddhist art
Buddhist art
Buddhist art originated on the Indian subcontinent following the historical life of Siddhartha Gautama, 6th to 5th century BC, and thereafter evolved by contact with other cultures as it spread throughout Asia and the world....
and architecture flourished. The capital was dotted with temples in a distinct Xieng Khouang style, i.e. simple low roofs with a characteristic ‘waist’ at the foundation. In 1930 Le Boulanger described it as ‘a large and beautiful city protected by wide moats and forts occupying the surrounding hills and the opulence of the sixty-two pagodas and their stupas, of which the flanks concealed treasures, obtained the capital a fame that spread fear wide and far.”
After the Kingdom of Siam, contemporary Thailand
Thailand
Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...
, extended control to Lao territories east of the Mekong
Mekong
The Mekong is a river that runs through China, Burma, Laos, Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam. It is the world's 10th-longest river and the 7th-longest in Asia. Its estimated length is , and it drains an area of , discharging of water annually....
in the 1770s, Muang Phuan became a Siamese vassal state and also maintained tributary relations with Dai Viet (Vietnam). To exert greater control of the lands and people of Muang Phuan
Muang Phuan
Muang Phuan - principality, existed on the territory of modern Xiangkhouang Province in Laos.The Tai Phuan or Phuan people are a Buddhist Tai-Lao ethnic group that migrated to Laos from southern China and by the 13th century had formed the independent principality Muang Phuan at the Plain of Jars...
, the Siamese launched three separate campaigns (1777–79, 1834–36 and 1875/76) to resettle large parts of the Phuan population to the south in regions under firm Siamese control. Subsequent invasions by Haw marauders
Haw wars
The Haw Wars , so called in Thai, were fought against Chinese quasi-military forces invading parts of Tonkin and Thailand between the years 1865 and 1890.-Invasion of the flags:...
, splinter groups of ex-Taiping Revolution rebels from Southern China plundered Luang Prabang and Xieng Khuang in the 1870s, and desecrated and destroyed the temples of the Phuan region.
The Franco-Siamese treaties of the 1890s placed Xieng Khouang under colonial rule as part of French Indochina
French Indochina
French Indochina was part of the French colonial empire in southeast Asia. A federation of the three Vietnamese regions, Tonkin , Annam , and Cochinchina , as well as Cambodia, was formed in 1887....
until briefly after World War II. The French used Xieng Khouang today called Muang Khoun as their provincial capital. A few ruinous colonial public buildings remain such as the governor’s residence, church and the French school.
During the Second Indochina War that raged in Laos during the 1960s and early 1970s Xieng Khouang suffered heavy aerial bombing. Since Laos
Laos
Laos Lao: ສາທາລະນະລັດ ປະຊາທິປະໄຕ ປະຊາຊົນລາວ Sathalanalat Paxathipatai Paxaxon Lao, officially the Lao People's Democratic Republic, is a landlocked country in Southeast Asia, bordered by Burma and China to the northwest, Vietnam to the east, Cambodia to the south and Thailand to the west...
gained full independence in 1975, Xieng Khouang and the Plain of Jars are enjoying peace and tranquility after centuries of conflict. More details next section.
"The War of Resistance" - The Lao Civil War and Second Indochina War
In August 1960, a neutralist military faction let by Kong LeKong Le
Kong Le is a former paratrooper captain in the Royal Lao Army known for overthrowing the government of Laos in a 1960 coup d'état. He obtained his training from the Armed Forces of the Philippines in 1957 and joined the Royal Lao Army in 1960.-Coup of 1960:...
seized Vientiane in a coup d’etat; but rightist forces, backed by the U.S. marched on Vientiane from the south and forced the neutralists to retreat. They moved back to the Plain of Jars and set up their headquarters in Muang Sui. Fighting ensued between the two sides until a second coalition government was formed in 1962. During this time a section of the neutralists developed good relationships to the Neo Lao Hak Sat (NLHS), the communist led Lao Patriotic Front and so some joined forces with the NLHS. From then on Xieng Khouang, along with neighbouring Houaphanh became one of the major theatres in the Lao Civil War.
From 1964 to 1973 Laos was a battlefield in a war. Both the USA and North Vietnam acted in direct contravention of the Geneva Accord of 1962, which recognized the neutrality of Laos and forbade the presence of all foreign military personnel. The war was so secret that the name of the country was banished from all communications. To evade the Geneva agreement the USA placed CIA agents in foreign-aid posts and temporarily turned air force officers into civil pilots. U.S. military trained the Royal Army as well as Hmong hill tribe guerrillas under the charismatic General Vang Pao
Vang Pao
Vang Pao was a Lieutenant General in the Royal Lao Army. He was an ethnic Hmong and a leader of the Hmong American community in the United States.-Early life:...
, himself a Hmong. Muang Sui (Ban Nong Tang) once a city of antique Buddha temples and quaint provincial architecture, became a landing site also called” Lima Site”, used by US Aircraft. By the early 1970s more than 400 military runways were set up in the country. The Pathet Lao
Pathet Lao
The Pathet Lao was a communist political movement and organization in Laos, formed in the mid-20th century. The group was ultimately successful in assuming political power after the Laotian Civil War. The Pathet Lao were always closely associated with Vietnamese communists...
(PL) leadership allowed 7 North Vietname Army (NVA) divisions into northeastern Laos. By 1964 the NVA and the PL had at least 16 anti-aircraft emplacements along with a vast underground arsenal.
Civil war also swept back and forth across Xieng Khouang and Royal Lao Air Force fighter bombers joined the fight. Later they were followed by US Phantom jet fighter bombers that focused on towns and villages which fell into NLHS hands. All these villages became “free fire” zones. In addition secret saturation bombing of Pathet Lao and the North Vietnamese Army strongholds was carried out, but the PL simply moved its headquarters into caves near Xam Neua. Besides the daily bombing ground combat took place between the Hmong army and the forces from Vietnam and Pathet Lao
Pathet Lao
The Pathet Lao was a communist political movement and organization in Laos, formed in the mid-20th century. The group was ultimately successful in assuming political power after the Laotian Civil War. The Pathet Lao were always closely associated with Vietnamese communists...
. By 1973 almost every town in Xieng Khouang had been destroyed. Most of the population had fled and lived a subterranean existence in tunnels and caves or had been removed forcibly.
Laos endured some of the heaviest aerial bombing in history: 580,000 bombing missions unleashing around two tons of ordnance per inhabitant and at a cost of over 10 billion US dollars. Defoliants and herbicides were also dropped on Laos laying bare all vegetation, poisoning civilian crops and rendering the water system unusable even for irrigation.
Much of this bombing occurred in Xieng Khouang. The destruction which rained down on the province was partly an accident of geography. American pilots regularly took off from northeast Thailand for bombing missions in North Vietnam and along the Ho Chi Minh trail but bad weather often prevented them from reaching their targets. Pilots couldn’t risk landing with their bombs aboard, and the added weight burned too much fuel. So they jettisoned their ordnance over eastern Laos. Deep bomb craters are scattered all over the province and the extent of the bombardment can still be seen around Ban Khai (1), 30 km northwest of Phonsavanh.
War scrap has become an important part of the local architecture and economy in the province. The bomb casings are refashioned into items of every day use - as fence posts, as substitute for the traditional wooden stilts, as plant cases for vegetables - or sold as scrap. Aluminum spoons sold in local markets are said to be fashioned from the war scrap of downed American aircraft. Casings being used like this can still be seen in many Xieng Khouang villages.
Administrative divisions
The province is made up of the following districts:- Kham (9-02)
- Khoune (9-04)
- Morkmay (9-05)
- Nonghed (9-03)
- Pek (9-01)
- Phaxay (9-07)
- Phookood (9-06)
- Thatom (9-08)
The district Thatom was reassigned from the special zone Xaisomboun when it was dissolved in January 2006.
See also
- Plain of JarsPlain of JarsThe Plain of Jars is a megalithic archaeological landscape in Laos. Scattered in the landscape of the Xieng Khouang plateau Xieng Khouang, Lao PDR, are thousands of megalithic jars...
- PhonsavanPhonsavanPhonsavan is the new capital of Xieng Khouang Province, Laos. The name stands for "hills of paradise".Phonsavan is the provincial capital of Xieng Khouang province. The countryside is soon dominated by green hills and pine forests. Villages consist of colourful wooden houses...
- Xiangkhouang PlateauXiangkhoang PlateauThe Xiangkhouang Plateau or Tran Ninh Plateau is a plateau in the north of Laos. The landscape is characterized by green mountains, rugged karst formations and verdant valleys with plenty of rivers, caves and waterfalls. The highest peaks of the plateau are between 2000 and 2800 meters high...
- Tragic Legacy: Profound Mystery - The Unknown Story of Xieng Khouang by Mike Matsuno