by Sarah Griffin
The Annamite Mountain Range dividing Laos from Vietnam boasts stunning scenery. Thousands of limestone peaks tower over verdant valleys where fascinating multi-ethnic people carve out a simple existence. So tranquil and removed from the modern world is the setting that it is hard to believe the region’s hidden history.
Laos, and this region in particular, was caught up in a little-known war that led to the country being more heavily bombed than the whole of Europe in the Second World War. Between 1962 and 1973, as all eyes were on the Vietnam War, the US was also waging a secret war on Laos, fighting what it saw as the rise of communism. The country was turned into a battlefield as one planeload of bombs was dropped every 8 minutes, 24 hours a day for 9 years.
The North-East region of Laos was worst hit due to its geographical proximity to Hanoi and its allegiance to the North Vietnamese Army when it became the home of the Pathet Lao, the Lao revolutionary movement. The small town of Viengxay became inextricably caught up in the war when the Pathet Lao moved their headquarters there in the early 1960s until the battle was won with the founding of the Lao People’s Democratic Republic in 1975. As aerial bombing intensified, revolutionary leaders and some 20,000 people retreated to the caves hidden in the limestone karsts surrounding Viengxay. Networks of 480 caves were used as offices, houses, factories, airtight emergency chambers, hospitals, a school and even an underground theatre, to help maintain morale.
The “Hidden City” of Viengxay is now being opened to the world for the first time. Learn about the international communist movement of the era and the devastation that occured in this remote corner of Laos during this astonishing period of world history. The caves themselves offer a fascinating insight into this little known and largely ignored part of recent history. The scenic surroundings are pockmarked with bomb craters, testimony to the intensity of the US carpet bombing operation.
Now is an ideal time to visit the caves of Viengxay and beyond as media interest gathers and sustainable tourism initiatives are developed in the region. Despite the fascinating history, rich ethnic culture and alluring surroundings, the North Eastern region of Laos is yet to be well travelled so you are assured a genuine and memorable adventure off the beaten track. Whilst accommodation is simple but adequate and the driving distances are considerable, a visit is a very rewarding and enriching experience.
Other attractions in the region include mysterious 2,000 year old standing stones, hot springs, weaving houses producing some of Laos’ finest textiles and most famous of all, the archaeological site of the Plain of Jars. The hundreds of megalithic stone jars dating from 2,500 years ago are an enigmatic sight to behold and of great significance in the study of the late prehistory of mainland South East Asia. The jars are scattered across a meadow-like plateau that is the ancient centre of a large area once criss-crossed by traders from as far away as China and India. Though not yet confirmed, popular archeological theory suggests the jars were used as sarcophagi.
Buffalo Tours and Nick Bowditch Travel can organise tours to the above attractions and would recommend combining them with a trip to charming Luang Prabang. Or for a real adventure why not travel overland from Hanoi in Vietnam with a stop en-route in the stunning Mai Chau, where you can enjoy trekking and homestays or our brand new lodge. To plan and book a trip please call Nick TODAY on 02 4328 4398.
Have you ever been to this stunning region of off the beaten track Asia? Please let me know in the comments below.
Sarah Griffin lived for several years in Indochina and is now the Regional Director, Australia and NZ, for Buffalo Tours. This story is a reproduced version of some of Sarah’s work while writing for an expat magazine in Hanoi, Vietnam. You can check out all of the great tours offered by Buffalo Tours here.
