Located on the banks of the Mekong River close to the Thai and Myanmar borders in the middle of the so-called 'Golden Triangle', this important 10,000-hectare site comprises a total of 44 vestiges of the ancient city of Nakhon Souvannakhomkham, including temples, stupas, water reservoirs and the remains of one of the largest Buddha images in South East Asia. The city is believed originally to have been established during the first millennium CE, possibly by the Mon, although much of the present remains are vestiges of the 16th century city which was established on the earlier site by King Sai Setthathirat (1550-1571) of Lane Xang. Regrettably the site has been extensively looted, and many of the remaining vestiges destroyed.