Tham Chang Cave

The Chang cave is situated follow the river road southern site of Meuang Xong Village, Vang Vieng. Tham Chang (or Jang) became the home for migrating people, who settled near the town’s southern Meuang Xong Village to raise vegetables.

The locals stumbled into the cavern during a civil war, while seeking refuge deep in the forest. Because its high location offered perfect views of Vang Vieng, the entire village moved there to sit out the war, and named their haven, Tham Chang or Jang (Hang around Cave). Years later during the colonial era, the locals returned to cultivating the nearby fields and would bathe in the cave’s basin, where the water was so cold they said it could freeze your legs to a firm stiffness. They then adjusted the cave’s name to Tham Chang, which means “unable to move”, leaving locals no choice but to “hang around”.