Phou Mountains

Wooded mountains surround the Muang Sing plain in the upper Mekong country. The ridges separate its fertile basin from other valleys of northern Laos and the lands farther north, while streams descend from the heights towards the river system. The plain's Tai Lue communities lived alongside peoples of the surrounding hills, whose forest products formed part of the tribute received by the rulers of Chiang Khaeng.