Xieng Khouang, Laos

Xieng Khouang, in northeastern Laos, was the site of the heaviest bombing during America’s Secret War in the 1970s. The effects of this time are apparent, even from the air, where the topography is pocked with, moonlike, with craters measuring 6 meters across. Today, it is heavily populated with Hmong, the ethnic group from which America extracted many of its hired soldiers during the war.
At Hmong New Year (in November), there are held bullfights, as well as courting ritual for young people, etc. We didn’t include pictures of this but, in effect, it involves unmarried boys and girls standing in lines opposite one another, throwing a ball back and forth between each pair. Presumably, this gives them time to talk together, after which they can speak to their parents about getting married. This goes on for days and days during the New Year.
We also have included pictures of the ancient stone jars for which that area is known. While their origins are uncertain, they are believed to have been funerary jars or, if you talk to local people, very large jugs of alcohol (typical response…). In any case, they are believed to be 2,000-3,000 years old. The American bombers were considerate enough to only destroy some of them…
Many of the people we work with in Sangthong district originated in this province. During the bombings, most people were unable to farm for seven years, except at night. During that time, many people fled to other parts of Laos. When we first moved to Laos, we lived with a Lao host family, the father of which is a lay-priest at the Catholic Church. His whole village was destroyed during the bombings, including his little sister whom he was unable to get out of their house before the planes came. This sort of story is typical for people from this province. For those who stayed, unexploded ordnances are a constant threat to children and farmers working in their fields.