Phou Hin Poun is an exceptional territory located in central Laos, in the Province of Khammouane. This protected natural area is emblematic of the Annamite Range of Southeast Asia with karstic cones called Fencong
The Phou Hin Poun National Protected Area covers approximately 2,000 km². It consists of aerial and underground limestone landscapes formed mainly by water and tectonic activity. The tropical climate with alternating seasons also orders the evolution of the reliefs and human activities. In this large limestone massif, water slowly erodes the rocks while tectonics cause the valleys to sink. Phou Hin Poun is also traversed by highly developed underground networks, many of which caves are accessible to humans. All of these landscapes are called karst. That of Phou Hin Poun has the singularity of being “evolved”, that is to say of presenting very eroded reliefs, an advanced stage before almost complete erosion of the limestone massifs. This karst bears the name of Fencong (Chinese word, because it is mainly present in Southeast Asia).
Very sparsely inhabited, natural resources are used for many human activities, thus creating diverse and varied landscapes
