(source - a friend of mine)

This monument is located directly in front of the Town Hall in Nong Khai and commemorates the victory over the Ho, who was defeated in Thailand in the years 1884 - 1886 by the Thai Prince Prachak Silpakhom, the brother of Ramas V.

The Ho, who are know also as the Hau, are a Muslim tribe from the Chinese province of Yunnan. In 1856 they joined forces with their leaders, Ho Du Wenxiu, who called themselves the "Sultan of Dali" and fought against the ruling Qing dynasty. The uprising was successful , Ho conquered Dali and declared their independence from China.

They even named their new nation Pingnan Guo, which means something like "the southern Pacified nation".

From here they started their military operations aimed at several cities including the city of Kunming.

When the Ho ran into trouble by the advancing army of Qing , they directed a letter to Queen Victoria of England in which they requested for diplomatic recognition and military support.

When the British refused, the Ho-state were overrun by the troops of the Qing, which subsequently took bloody revenge. Ho and many others fled to neighboring countries Burma, Thailand and Laos.

This uprising is known as the Panthay-rebellion.

In the years 1884 to 1886 there was another uprising, and the Ho penetrated into the area of Khorat, which lasted until the governor of the northern provinces was defeated.

The prince had set up this monument on the anniversary of the victory and to commemorate those involved who were killed in the battles during the revolt.

It contains inscriptions in Thai, Chinese, English and Lao and inside are the ashes of high ranking officers killed during the battles.

Originally the monument was located behind the present police station, but in 1949, it was moved to the town hall.

Every year on the 5th of March you will see a celebration at the monument in honor of the fallen.