The Ministry of Information, Culture and Tourism plans to nominate the megalithic archaeological landscape known as the ‘Plain of Jars’ in Xieng Kuang for UNESCO world heritage status.
The documents and the master plan are expected to be submitted to the World Heritage Committee for consideration of the ‘Plain of Jars’ as a new UNESCO world heritage site, this year.
“The government and UNESCO have attached importance to the nomination of the ‘Plain of Jars’ as a world heritage since 1998. Both sides have collected data, deliberated on and planned the sustainable protection of this heritage site to ensure that this tourist attraction will best benefit the tourism industry in Laos,” said Bosengkham Vongdara, Minister of Information, Culture and Tourism.
Since 2015, the ministry has, in cooperation with local authorities, listed 11 sites of jars in Xieng Khuang for the world heritage application, formulated conservation and protection area plans and management rules for provincial, district and village authorities.
The chairman of the meeting asked relevant sectors to deliberate on the master plan and related documents making sure they are complete before they can be submitted to the World Heritage Committee for consideration.
“We plan to submit the application to UNESCO for the world heritage status for the ‘Plain of Jars’ this year so that it will be the third world heritage of Laos, and we will do the same for the Hin Nam No in Khammouane next year.
“All aim to fulfil the strategic plan of the Ministry of Information, Culture and Tourism 2016-2020,” said the Department of World Heritage Director General Khambay Phothisane.
The ‘Plain of Jars’ in northern Laos is home to a 2000-year-old mystery. It is a group of fields containing thousands of stone jars cut out from rock thousands of years ago.
