Mekong Falls

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Rapids Tad Somphamit
Khon Phapheng waterfall

The Mekong Falls ( Laotian : ນ ້ ຳ ຕົກ ຕາດ ຄອນ ພະ ເພັງ Nam Tok Khon Phapheng , German: “Vollmond- Rapschnelle ”, French Chutes de Khone, English Khon Phapheng Waterfalls ) are a cascading waterfall of the Mekong in the Laotian province of Champasak near the border with Cambodia . They are located south of the Si Phan Don inland delta ( Lao : 4,000 islands ).

Over a width of more than 10 kilometers, the river falls in cascades over 21 meters. The Mekong Falls achieve an average discharge rate of 11,600 m³ / s and maximum values ​​of almost 50,000 m³ / s. There are two main cascades running in parallel: Khong Phapheng (Lao: roar of the Mekong on the eastern bank of the river) with a height of about 18 meters and Tad Somphamit (also: Li Phi Falls on the western bank of the river). The Mekong Falls are the widest waterfall on earth and the largest waterfall in Asia .

The Mekong Falls are the main obstacle to using the Mekong as a shipping route from Vietnam to China . In 1866 the expedition of the French colonial officers Francis Garnier and Ernest Doudart de Lagrée , who tried to find a trade route from Vietnam to China, ended here. To bypass the waterfall, the Don Det – Don Khon railway was built.

Coordinates: 13 ° 56 ′ 54 ″  N , 105 ° 56 ′ 27 ″  E

Individual evidence

  1. Information on the Phapheng Rapids from manager.co.th (in Thai). Archived from the original on October 24, 2012 ; Retrieved August 4, 2015 .

Web links

Commons : Mekong Falls  - collection of pictures, videos and audio files

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