Khoune District (Muang Khoun)
Khoune, formerly called Muang Khoun (Khoune) or Old Xiang Khouang is a district (muang) of Xiangkhouang province in north-central Laos. It is a ghost of its former self, 35 km southeast of Phonsavan, was once the royal seat of the minor kingdom of Muang Phuan, renowned in the sixteenth century for its 62 opulent stupas, whose sides were said to be covered in treasure. Years of bloody invasions by Thai and Vietnamese soldiers, pillaging by Chinese bandits in the nineteenth century and a monsoon of bombs that lasted nearly a decade during the Second Indochina War taxed this town so heavily that, by the time the air raids stopped, next to nothing was left of the kingdom's exquisite temples. The town is partly abandoned, and centuries of history were drawn to a close. All that remains of the kingdom's former glory is an elegant Buddha image towering over ruined columns of brick at Wat Phia Wat, and That Dam, both of which bear the scars of the events that ended Xieng Khuang's centuries of rich history. Although the town has been rebuilt and renamed, it has been supplanted by Phonsavan. In 1707, when the Kingdom of Lan Xang split into three separate kingdoms. Muang Phuan became a tributary state of the Kingdom of Luang Prabang.
Khoune district has four main ethnic groups: Lao, Hmong, Khmu, and O Du.
Khoune district has four main ethnic groups: Lao, Hmong, Khmu, and O Du.
Map - Khoune District (Muang Khoun)
Map
Country - Laos
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| Flag of Laos | |
Present-day Laos traces its historic and cultural identity to Lan Xang, which existed from the 13th century to the 18th century as one of the largest kingdoms in Southeast Asia. Because of its central geographical location in Southeast Asia, the kingdom became a hub for overland trade and became wealthy economically and culturally. After a period of internal conflict, Lan Xang broke into three separate kingdoms: Luang Phrabang, Vientiane and Champasak. In 1893, the three territories came under a French protectorate and were united to form what is now known as Laos. It briefly gained independence in 1945 after Japanese occupation but was re-colonised by France until it won autonomy in 1949. Laos became independent in 1953, with a constitutional monarchy under Sisavang Vong. A post-independence civil war began, which saw the communist resistance, supported by the Soviet Union, fight against the monarchy that later came under influence of military regimes supported by the United States. After the Vietnam War ended in 1975, the communist Pathet Lao came to power, ending the civil war. Laos was then dependent on military and economic aid from the Soviet Union until its dissolution in 1991.
Currency / Language
| ISO | Currency | Symbol | Significant figures |
|---|---|---|---|
| LAK | Lao kip | â‚ | 2 |
| ISO | Language |
|---|---|
| EN | English language |
| FR | French language |
| LO | Lao language |