Phonsavan

Phonsavan ໂພນສະຫວັນ
City
Hills around Phonsavan
Phonsavan Location in Laos
Coordinates: 19°25′N 103°10′E / 19.417°N 103.167°E / 19.417; 103.167
Country	Laos
Admin. division	Xiangkhoang Province
Elevation	3,600 ft (1,100 m)
Population
• Total	37,507 (2,009)
• Religions	Buddhism
Time zone	ICT (UTC+7)
Area code(s)	061
Climate	Cwa

Coordinates: 19°28′N 103°11′E / 19.46°N 103.18°E / 19.46; 103.18

Phonsavan (Lao: ໂພນສະຫວັນ) (population 37,507) is the capital of Xiangkhoang Province. The name stands for "hills of paradise".

Phonsavan is the provincial capital of Xiangkhouang Province. The countryside is dominated by green hills and pine forests. Villages consist of colourful wooden houses. Cattle raising is one of the main agricultural activities and Hmong cowboys with brown and violet cowboy hats are a common sight. During Hmong New Year there are bullfights in the city. Phonsavan was built in the late 1970s and replaced the old Xiangkhouang (today: Muang Khoun) which had been destroyed during the Second Indochina War. Phonsavan's most famous attraction is the nearby Plain of Jars, which has been nominated for UNESCO World Heritage status. The main economic activity in Phonsavan is based on government administration, mining companies from China and Australia, tourism, and the work of NGOs related to clearing unexploded ordnance.

Xiangkhouang is widely known for the Plain of Jars, but beyond its jars the natural beauty of the province is waiting to be discovered. The province has a pleasant climate all year around with warm or hot days and cold nights. Xiangkhouang's scenery is characterized by the highest mountains in the country (Mount Phou Bia), its pine forests, deciduous woodlands, rolling hills, and grasslands. In the cold season the green hills of the Plain of Jars turn reddish brown giving it a touch of the "wild west" with yellow sunflowers and pointsetta in full bloom. Nam Ngum, the largest river in the province, originates from the mountains in Paek District and is one of the major tributaries of the [Muangkhoun]. Nong Het and Phaxay District in particular offer stunning karst scenery with plenty of caves, cliffs, underground rivers and waterfalls. The area is particularly beautiful during peach and orchid tree blossom in February. In December, the hills are full of yellow sunflowers.