HINTANG ARCHAEOLOGICAL PARK

Hintang Archaeological Park is located about 20 km southwest of Sam Nuea. Surrounded by the forest, this megalithic stone garden is composed of large standing stone slabs, menhirs therefore, and arranged in a circle. The age and origin of the site remain a mystery.

More than 2,500 years ago, an unknown civilization erected hundreds of menhirs over ten kilometers in the mountains, above a forest. These menhirs have the appearance of narrow blades formed by plates of shale. Mortuary chambers were dug in the middle of these menhirs. They were accessed by narrow chimneys with steps. Each chimney was covered with a stone disc several meters in diameter. In 1931, the sites surrounding San Khong Pan were researched by a team of archaeologists led by the French archaeologist Madeleine Colani. The chambers had been filled with alluvial soil. The burial chambers were separated by shale walls. Few interesting objects were discovered by the colonial expedition, apart from some crude funerary urns and some ceremonial objects and bronze bracelets. These tombs did not reveal all their secrets..

Take the bus to Luang Prabang or Phonsavan, and get off at Ban Phao: a large sign indicates the site. Then walk 6 km or get dropped off. The best is to rent a car in Phonsavan or a motorbike in Sam Neua.