river in northern Laos, one of the 12 principal tributaries of the Mekong River; it is 236 miles (380 km) long. The Ou River rises on the Chinese frontier north of Muang Ou Nua and flows south and southwest through the gorges and mountain valleys of the northernmost part of Laos before joining the Mekong at Ban Pak Ou, 15 miles (24 km) above Louangphrabang town. The Ou is navigable as far north as Hatsa, just northeast of Phôngsali town. The lower Ou River valley, supporting a Lao rice culture, also carries a part of the road linking northern Vietnam with the Mekong River valley.