Located 700-km north of Bangkok, Chiang Mai is an hour from the capital by air, and is well know for its crisp mountain scenery and hill tribes, and falls within the region known as the Golden Triangle, the area where Thailand’s Laotian and Burmese borders meet.
Take the winding road up the side of the hill overlooking the city to visit the most significant temple in Chiang Mai, the 600 year-old Wat Phra That Doi Suthep, which lies 3,500 feet above sea level. Inside you will find the symbol of the city, the copper-plated Chedi that is topped by a five-tier gold parasol. From the terrace, on a clear day, you observe a fine panoramic view of the entire city. Once At the top, the climb up the 306 steps of the Naga staircase (a Thai mythological Dragon-headed serpent) will seem worth it!
An early morning drive through the verdant Northern Thai scenery will take you to the Golden Triangle at the confluence of the Ruak and Mekong Rivers. Here there is the chance to enjoy a boat ride to view the scenery and splendour of the mighty Mekong River, and also visit the absorbing Opium Museum, which gives some interesting background on the region’s notorious past.
Orchid lovers must stop by the Orchid Farm, where you can marvel at the many varieties of orchids and hybrids in bloom, and observe a fascinating demonstration of orchid propagation and cultivation. If you have a greenhouse or conservatory at home, it is worth taking back a small bottle of propagated young baby orchids set in jelly to have a permanent living souvenir of Thailand back on home soil. At the back of the farm, pet lovers will be interested to find the Siamese Cattery, where these sleek, beautiful animals are bred and reared.
Doi Inthanon, at 8,514 feet above sea level, is the highest peak in Thailand. Located 105 km from Chiang Mai, this National Park is one of the most fertile natural treasure-troves in the Kingdom. The invigorating mountain air and the fresh, cool climate makes a trip here, a rejuvenating and exhilarating experience. Very popular among bird watchers, more than 383 species have been reported in the park. One may visit a Karen hill tribe village in the area.
Wiang Kum Kam
These excavated ruins near the Ping River, 5km (3mi) south of the city, are the earliest historical settlement in the Chiang Mai area. Established probably in the 11th century by the Mon people as a satellite town for the Hariphunchai kingdom, the city was flooded and abandoned in the early 18th century. Visible architectural remains are few, but are of significant interest. A four-sided Mon-style chedi (monument housing a Buddha) and the layered brick pediments of Wat Kan Thom remain.
Of more interest are the inscribed stone slabs - over 1300 in all - which are mostly undergoing study at Chiang Mai University. An important four-piece inscribed stone slab from Wiang Kum Kam is on display at the Chiang Mai National Museum. The scripts found on these slabs offer vital information on the formation of Thai language and writing, indicating that the Thai script was developed from the Mon model of writing.
| Tribal Museum
On the northern outskirts of the city, this gleaming octagonal facility house a large collection of handicrafts, costumes, jewellery, ornaments, utensils, tools, musical instruments and ceremonial paraphernalia, all offering insights into the cultural features of the major hill tribes of Thailand. there is also an exhibition on activities carried out by the Thai royal family on behalf of these tribes, as well as slide and video shows.
Night Bazaar
Yunnanese trading caravans used to stop near the Ping River along the ancient trade route between Simao (China) and Mawlamyaing (on Myanmar's Gulf of Martaban coast). To this day, every night - rain or not - an extensive market sprawls along several blocks between the eastern moat and the river. Roofed concession areas, regular shops and street vendors offer a huge variety of Thai goods at bargain prices. Designer goods - real and fake - are also on offer. The Night Bazaar attracts foreign importers, impressed by the discounts given to bulk purchases. History
Thai King Mengrai took over a Mon settlement to develop Nopburi Si Nakhon Ping Chiang Mai (shortened to Chiang Mai - `New Walled City') in 1296. Mengrai, reportedly a prince from Nam Chao, a Thai kingdom in south west China, had already conquered the area that is now Lamphun, south west of Chiang Mai. Imediately after his arrival, he built the city walls that visitors can still see remnants of along Thanon Kamphaeng Din.
Later, in the 14th and 15th centuries, Chiang Mai became an important spiritual and cultural centre for the larger kingdom of Lan Na Thai (`million Thai rice fields'), which extended from Kamphaeng Phet - about 300km (186mi) to the south - as far north as Luang Prabang in modern Laos. The eighth world synod of Theravada Buddhism was held in Chiang Mai in 1477.
In 1556 the Burmese captured Chiang Mai for the second time in 500 years. Earlier, before the arrival of King Mengrai, King Anuruddha of Pagan (modern-day Bagan) ruled the area around Chiang Mai in the 11th century. The second period of Burmese control was more successful - they ruled the now-thriving town for over 200 years.
In 1775 Thai King Taksin moved in from the south to again wrest control of Chiang Mai away from the Burmese. Taksin appointed Chao Kavila, a jâo meuang (lord) from nearby Lampang, as viceroy of Northern Thailand. It was in this period that the city establised itself as Thailand's northern capital, second only to Bangkok in national importance. In 1800 Kavila built the monumental brick walls around the inner city, and expanded the outer city in southerly and easterly directions, allowing for future development, and establishing a river port at the end of what is today Th Tha Phae (thâa phae means `raft pier'). Under the leadership of Kavila - and with greater river access - Chiang Mai became an important regional trade centre. Many people migrated to the area, including the wealthy teak merchants from Burma, who are responsible for many of the Shan and Burmese-style temples built throughout the 19th century.
Chiang Mai became linked with central Thailand with the completion of the northern railway in 1921. Word soon spread that Chiang Mai - previously very difficult to reach from the more heavily populated south, was a quaint hidden treasure and a perfect destination for shopping and entertainment. Tourism quickly replaced commercial trade as Chiang Mai's primary source of outside revenue. A close second is the tourist-focussed manufacture and sale of local handicrafts. Long before the tourists began flocking to the northern capital, Chiang Mai was an important centre for handcrafted pottery, weaving, umbrellas, silverwork and woodcarving. If you visit arts and craft shops anywhere in Thailand today, chances are there will be someone working there who hails from Chiang Mai. |
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