Buzz
Alongside Cambodia, Laos is one of the three countries on the Indochina Peninsula where primitive Buddhism has been the official religion for centuries.
Explore the Land of a Million Elephants and the Enigmatic Pumpkin Fields
Similarly, like other countries where the tradition of Buddhism has been consistently maintained, the sacred values of Buddhist teachings deeply influence both the material and spiritual aspects of the people in this country.
This sacredness is reflected in thousands of venerable ancient temples that blend original Buddhist architecture with the traditional ethnic architecture, enduring the various changes of time and epochs for centuries.
It is a living space where the gentleness of humanity and the serenity of nature intertwine to create a living environment that is both mystical and peacefully serene...
Not only that, Laos holds many valuable historical landmarks, which, to this day, remain a mystery...
And those are the primary reasons driving me to undertake an expedition to this country.
From Vietnam to Laos, you can travel by air from the two international airports at the opposite ends of the country, either Noi Bai Airport in the North or Tan Son Nhat Airport in Ho Chi Minh City.
However, with the advantage of the long land border spanning over 2,340 km, the road is considered the most effective solution to travel from Vietnam to Laos.
With the guidance of a person knowledgeable about the geography of Laos, I decided to enter Laos through the Nam Can border gate, following the outlined itinerary: Xieng Khoang, the ancient capital Luang Prabang, and finally, the capital Vientiane.
After nearly 4 hours from the moment we crossed the Nam Can border gate, we officially reached the first goal in the journey to explore Laos.
The mysterious pumpkin fields...
Located about 30km from the town of Phon Sa Vanh, the administrative center of Xieng Khoang province, the pumpkin fields sit on a vast plain spanning tens of hectares. However, due to the impact of unexploded mines left after the end of the Indochina War, only a portion of the pumpkin fields is revealed to visitors for exploration and research.
Discovered by scientists over a century ago, the origin and purpose of these pumpkin-shaped structures remain a mystery to this day.
From concentric circles decorated on some pumpkins, scientists believe that some of these stone structures once had lids, but mysteriously, most of those lids have disappeared.
There are various theories about the creation of these giant stone jars.
The first theory originates from the legends of the Hmong and Dao ethnic groups living at the end of the Truong Son range, suggesting that these stone jars date back to the 6th century and were created for the purpose of fermenting rice wine.
According to legend, ancient times in this region were ruled by a ruthless king named Chao Angka. This king treated the people here very poorly, so they sought the help of Khun Jevam, a king from the North, who came and liberated them.
To have wine for the soldiers to celebrate victory, King Khun ordered the people to create stone jars to ferment the wine.
However, archaeologists argue that the actual origin of these stone jars is quite different from the legend. According to them, creating and moving these stone jars to another location would require a considerable amount of time, even taking decades.
The second theory suggests that these stone jars are burial sites for the deceased.
This hypothesis was proposed by a French archaeologist named Henri Parmentier when he discovered local people selling necklaces made of carnelian and glass beads while excavating. Based on these facts, he believed that people had stolen beads and other items from the stone jars, the burial sites of the departed.
However, to this day, these theories remain scientifically unproven, and that is why the pumpkin fields continue to exist, attracting hundreds of thousands of curious tourists every year.
Leaving Xieng Khoang with the mysterious pumpkin fields, following Route 7 and then onto Route 13, we traversed nearly 500 km of mountainous roads to return to the ancient capital Luang Prabang.
After almost 8 hours of bus travel, we arrived at the beautiful and serene ancient capital, the finest of its kind on the Indochina Peninsula.
Luang Pha Bang alongside the legendary Mekong River
Situated on the northern bank of the legendary Mekong River, Luang Prabang was once the capital of the Lan Xang kingdom, the land of a million elephants, for many centuries before the kingdom dissolved to form present-day Laos, along with other principalities.
Since then, its role as the cultural and political center of Luang Prabang ended, passing the torch to Vientiane.
As the capital of many dynasties where Buddhism is the state religion, the ancient capital of Luang Prabang embodies all the criteria of a space of pure Buddhism.
Those are the towering temple roofs, an ancient and serene space...
And it is this pure and venerable Buddhism that makes Luang Prabang the top choice for foreign tourists when setting foot in Laos.
It would be a significant omission not to step onto a hill named Phousi when visiting the ancient capital Luang Prabang because from the highest point on this hill, you can overlook the entire ancient capital.
Following the footsteps of travelers, we decided to climb the 329 steps to reach the summit of Phousi.
On the 80m-high summit of Phousi, in 1804, under the reign of King Annourot, a cosmic tower was built, a common symbol in Lao Buddhism, standing 20 meters tall.
To add a touch of sacredness and mystique, at the base of the tower, the monks also constructed a small temple and a shrine...
However, what truly captivates devotees and travelers ascending Phousi is the panoramic view beneath the hill.
Because from here, you can overlook Luang Prabang with the winding Mekong River, a serene living space…
And that is the first impression that drew us into the journey of exploring this country.
Tip for you
Currently, Vietnam and Laos have 7 international border crossings you can use.
Tay Trang Border Gate in Dien Bien Province; Na Meo Border Gate in Thanh Hoa Province; Nam Can Border Gate in Nghe An Province; Cau Treo Border Gate in Ha Tinh Province; Cha Lo Border Gate in Quang Binh Province; Lao Bao Border Gate in Quang Tri Province; and lastly, Bo Y Border Gate in Kon Tum Province.
Mytour RECOMMENDS SOME GREAT-VALUE HOTELS IN LAOS
1. The Luang Say Residence
2. La Residence Phou Vao
3. Mouang Luang
According to Dan Viet
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Reference: Travel guide from Mytour
MytourJune 24, 2016
