Luang Prabang is an ancient Royal Capital of Northern Laos, and it was also the French Administrative center for the area. It abounds in colonial buildings and remains a local center of trade and culture along the Northern Mekong. The Plain of Jars is a Plateau located in Xieng Kouang Province in Laos. A stunningly beautiful place, it is famous for two very different things. Scattered in groups on the Plain are huge stone jars, which are something of an archaeological mystery. It is a matter of some debate as to what they were for, and also exactly how old they are. It was also a battlefield in an illegal war that was waged by the U.S. in Laos (aided and abetted by the French, the Russians and the Chinese) and is considered one of the most heavily bombed places on the face of the earth. It is a place whose history, and tragedy, should be better known.