Hongsa

Hongsa lies in a valley of northwestern Laos, near the Mekong approaches. Its historical landmarks are modest but specific. That Lak Mueang, a stupa on a hill overlooking the valley, dates from 1572. Near Ban Vieng Keo, remnants of a moat and wall are attributed to the thirteenth-century ruler Jao Houd. These remains suggest a valley where defensive boundaries and Buddhist sacred places marked inhabited space.