Historical Site

FORT CARNOT

In the town of Houay Xay are the remains of Fort Carnot, an army fort built by French forces around 1893 following the acquisition of Laos into French Indochina in 1890. It takes around 10 minutes to reach Fort Carnot in a tuk tuk from the main street, although it is also a walkable distance. Due to no military action here at most times there were only a couple of French officers stationed at the Fort, supported by around 30 Vietnamese and Lao soliders. Although the French influence seems strong, there were never many French nationals posted in Laos. The French Indochina administration was based in Vietnam. After Laos independence from the French in 1954, the Royal Lao Army made use of the Fort until 1975 after which the Lao Army took over the complex and used it for army housing until recently. Fort Carnot is the best- preserved colonial military building in Laos. Along the south wall of Fort Carnot were the kitchen and the jail. The main east and west blocks were probably used for accommodation for the soldiers, and the smaller rooms on the west wing were officers quarters. In the west garrison block, you can see rifle racks on the walls and holes in the walls that would have been made by soldiers hanging up their mosquito nets.

PhaPra (Ancient Princess Sculpture)The Ancient Princess Sculpture has been discovered since the reign of the king Anouvong, this place is a natural combination with culture are seamlessly observing on the cliffs of this place is carved images on the rock, recounting that image evidence at the cliffs was carved by hand and swords of the King Anouvong to commemorate the souls of his daughter’s death here. in addition he buried some precious item into the rocks in the middle of the Mekong river and wrote an inscription: “The only eyes just feet” but unfortunately, These valuable things were dug and stolen by the thieves  only the traces left.
How to get There: Take a Tuk Tuk, Taxi, motorbike or manage a tour from private travel agency from Huay Xai.

Ancient Town “Souvanna Khomkham”

Information: The ancient town “Souvanna Khomkham” according to the legend of Sri Lanka Mr. Francis Garnier wrote in the book “survey Mekong” of the 19th century said that the Ancient Town, that appeared in the 5th century, legends told that the city was growing rapidly just 3 years so there were hundreds  home of the Saints then in Souvanna Khomkham misconduct with honest traders who were the Naga from Luang Prabang  which can cause faults to argue so they sent the troops to destroy Souvanna Khomkham completely causing people panic and went over all directions as to Thidoumung, Srisatsanalai and Luang Prabang. This ancient town had gone through a process of demolition and has been restored many times under different names than to become an abandoned city with only traces left. Souvanna Khomkham organized as provincial tourist attraction, according to a survey initially found 44 ancient sites built with bricks and sand like a monastery, stupas, Buddha images, water well and and others still left from properties robbers from both Thailand and Laos, but what was the beauty and glory of the site in the past, the biggest meditating Buddha images with lap 7,10 meters wide, 7.22 meters high (not counting the apex), each shoulder is 1,10 meters wide, beside the hip to the knee 3,60 meters wide which is the biggest Buddha in the country and in the Southeast Asia, but also the numbers of  sanctuary remains left on the site the assumptions that are mostly from the city of Chiang Saen, especially in the time during the reign of the king Sayyasetthathirat, who had restored to the beautiful city along both sides of Mekong and then was down by aggressive military from Myanmar left only historical traces. A place conserved and protected for education knowledge study for students, tourist and scientists, researchers and reserve variety of the beauty of nature for  the next generation to learn more.
– What to see and do: Enjoy ancient town view and studying the history of the site ruins in this area.
– How to get There: all vehicles