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Chiang Mai is Northern Thailand’s capital, and with its picturesque location on the Ping River surrounded by beautiful landscapes, it is also called the Rose of the North. Chiang Mai was founded in 1296 by King Mengrai as the new capital of the region, where until then there were scattered settlements on the site along the river.
Chiang Mai was built with moats and city walls, and thus the foundations for a significant city were laid from the start, and in the Lanna kingdom, Chiang Mai also became dominant. An example of the city’s success was the holding of the Eighth Buddhist World Synod in 1477.
In 1556 the Burmese conquered Chiang Mai and ruled for the next two centuries. In 1775, the Thais regained the city under King Taksin, and he installed Chao Kawila as viceroy of Northern Thailand. In a few years around the year 1800, Chao Kawila had reinforced city walls built.
Chiang Mai expanded and it flourished commercially and culturally. The railway from Bangkok reached here in 1921, and in 1927 the Thai royal family from Bangkok rode elephants into the city, the first royal visit from Bangkok. In 1933, Chiang Mai officially became part of Siam, today’s Thailand.
Tourism to the city developed strongly in the latter half of the 20th century, and the historical starting point as the capital of northern Thailand provides a cultural uniqueness that is particularly rewarding for visitors. This can be seen, among other things, in the street scene’s countless temples and through the lively trade in locally produced handicrafts.
Wat Chedi Luang is the name of a temple area that was originally three separate temples. In addition to the Chedi Luang, the area consisted of the temples Wat Ho Tham and Wat Sukmin. Construction started in the 14th century when King Saen Muang Ma initiated it. It was completed in 1401, but King Tilokaraja expanded the facility in the following years.
The Chedi Luang Temple houses one of Thailand’s most impressive structures, now standing evocatively and reverently as a ruin. It is the magnificent chedi that has measured 97 meters in height and was the tallest building in the Lanna kingdom. The chedi was destroyed by an earthquake in 1545, and in the 1990s it was renovated into the present, beautiful ruin that testifies to Chiang Mai’s position as the absolute center of power of the Lanna kingdom.
In the period 1468-1551, Wat Chedi Luang was home to the jade Buddha that was found in Chiang Rai and is now kept in Bangkok’s Wat Phra Kaew. In 1995, a replica of the figure was inserted into the reconstructed chedi, and this figure can be seen on the east side of the chedi.
All around the chedi there have been life-size elephant figures that were inserted so that they helped lift the chedi and thus the king towards the sky, so to speak. In the southwest corner of the chedi, some elephants have been preserved. To the west of the chedi you can see one of the typical fat happy Chinese Buddhas, and in the building next to it there are several figures of, among other things, a reclining Buddha.
This temple is also known as the place where the foundation stone of Chiang Mai, Lak Mueang/คันที่ is located. Originally it was located in Wat Sadeu Muang, but King Chao Kawila moved it here in the year 1800. It is also said that King Mengrai was killed by lightning at this place in 1317.
Pratu The Phae is a city gate that led into the old part of Chiang Mai. The old town is squarely surrounded by a moat, walls and city gates, and you can walk a beautiful and cozy way all the way around, and it has a length of just over six kilometres. For the tour, Tha Phae city gate is a good place to start.
Pratu Tha Phae was the city’s eastern entrance, and today you can see a beautifully reconstructed city gate that just allows the passage of an elephant with a person on each side. In front of the gate there is now a square where the moat runs north-south, and you can also see a nice piece of the old city wall in this place.
If you go clockwise, you come to the southeast to the Jaeng Katam bastion and then to the next city gate, Pratu Chiang Mai, which bears the city’s name and was the entrance from the city of Lamphun to the south. The gate was erected by King Mengrai in 1296, restored around 1800 and reconstructed 1966-1969. Moving on, you come to the other southern gate, Pratu Suan Prung, which was for a long time reserved for funeral processions out of the city.
To the southwest is the bastion Jaeng Ku Ruang and further on, on the western side of the moat, the city gate Pratu Suan Dok, which means Flower Garden Gate. The name refers to the king’s flower garden, which in the 14th century was outside this city gate. To the northwest is the Jaeng Hua Rin bastion, which is probably the best preserved of the bastions along the wall.
On the north side of the moat is the last of the city’s five city gates, Pratu Chang Pheuak, which, like the eastern one, was built in 1296. The gate was the one through which the Lanna regents came through in connection with their coronation ceremonies. To the northeast lies the fourth and last bastion, Jaeng Si Phum, which is the oldest part of the entire structure.
Chiang Mai National Museum is a museum that was established as a regional museum center for Northern Thai culture and history. The museum opened in 1973, and the building was built according to the traditional regulations of the area, including a Lanna-style roof structure.
At the museum, you can experience different themes in the collection of, among other things, Thai handicrafts and works of art such as Buddhas that date back to the 14th century. There are also other collections such as historical weapons and effects from modern Northern Thailand.
Wat Chet Yot is a temple built in Chiang Mai in 1453. It formed the setting for the Eighth Buddhist World Synod, a religious congress, held in 1477. The temple’s construction was inspired by the Mahabodhi Temple in Bodhgaya, India. This is seen, among other things, in the fact that the chedi has seven spiers, each of which represents one of the weeks the Buddha spent in Bodhgaya, where he received his revelations.
The atmosphere in the temple area is that of being out in the country, despite the proximity to the center of Chiang Mai. There are preserved chedis where Lanna kings are buried, and the site’s Buddha figure stands inside the seven-spired temple.
Chiang Mai Zoo is one of the largest zoos in Thailand. The animals of the park themselves are of course interesting to see, but the park itself is also very worth seeing with its landscaped gardens, lakes and waterfalls.
The garden is located on a ridge, from which there is a fine view of Chiang Mai. A pair of panda bears, who came here as a gift from China, are one of the garden’s crowd magnets.
Wat Ku Tao is a temple built in 1613 and said to lay the ashes of the Burmese prince Tharawadi Min, who was the son of the Lanna king Bayinnaung, who ruled 1578-1607.
Ku Tao Temple is one of Chiang Mai’s peaceful havens. The temple buildings are located like in a park with many large, old trees. In Thai, Ku Tao means Melon Temple, and the reason for that is due to the chedi’s distinctive appearance like stacked melons. Below the chedi, several of the area’s animals can be seen in figures. For example, you can see a tiger.
Chiang Mai Night Bazaar is one of Chiang Mai’s popular attractions. The night bazaar is located on Thanon Chang Khlan street between Tha Phae and Si Donchai streets, and here you can buy a sea of tourist goods and local goods in the several thousand stalls and shops.
The night bazaar’s historical starting point was the caravan traffic between Chinese Simao and Mawlamyaing on the Burmese coast southwest of Chiang Mai. The traffic along the trade routes went through Chiang Mai, which became a natural stop on the way.
Wat Phra Singh is a temple founded in 1345 by King Pha Yu to house the ashes of his father, King Kham Fu. Among the interesting buildings on the temple grounds are the great chedi and the Lai Kham chapel, which contains fine wood carvings and Lanna-style wall paintings.
In the temple’s viharn you can see the Phra Singh Buddha figure, which was completed in the late 14th century and brought here from Chiang Rai in the 1400s. The figure, like the buildings, is a beautiful example of traditional Lanna style. The murals date from the end of the 1800s.
Wat Phra That Doi Suthep is the name of a temple and Doi Suthep is a ridge in the same place. The mountain and the temple are among the most visited places in the Chiang Mai area.
The temple Wat Phra That Doi Suthep is located at an altitude of 1,156 meters and was built in 1353. The golden chedi contains a relic of the Buddha and is therefore a place of pilgrimage for Buddhists from all over the world. The story goes that the monk Sumanathera felt called to look for a relic in Pang Cha.
The monk found the Buddha’s shoulder blade, and the Lanna king Nu Naone had the relic placed on a white elephant that was let loose in the jungle. The elephant went all the way up to the site of the present temple, where it lay down and died. It was a sign that a temple was to be built here. In the temple today you can see a monument to the elephant.
On the way up to the temple, you can choose the beautiful staircase with more than 300 steps, which is flanked by a long line of the mythical snakes, nagas, and you can also take the funicular, which brings you up without breaking a sweat. In addition to the temple itself, you can admire beautiful flowers such as some colossal bougainvillea. In clear weather, you can also enjoy the place’s incomparable view of Chiang Mai, which lies at the foot of the mountain.
Phu Phing Palace is a palace located in the hills outside of Chiang Mai. The palace is known as the winter residence of the Thai royal family. It is not possible to visit the place when the royal family is staying here, which usually happens in the period from mid-December to early February.
During periods when the royal family does not reside in the palace, you can take a closer look at the site and the beautiful palace park at Phu Phing Palace. The palace itself is a relatively new palace, built and landscaped in 1962.
Doi Pui Hmong Tribal Village is a village that offers a fantastic opportunity to experience one of the many mountain tribes that live in northwestern Thailand. The village is home to the Doi Pui tribe, and a visit here is an easy way to get to know village life if you are in Chiang Mai and Doi Suthep Mountain.
The Doi Pui tribe immigrated from China after World War II and have built a small community of approximately 300 residents. On the main street there are a number of shops, where you can buy a selection of the village’s home-produced goods, among other things. In the side streets you can still see houses that have been preserved as originally from the time when the tribe moved here. The houses are simple wooden houses with most of the day’s chores gathered in one room.
You can also see how the women produce the traditional clothing belonging to this tribe. There are also several museums that exhibit tools and ways of life in the village, and you should also visit the town’s garden, which is particularly beautiful and which, among other things, contains opium poppies.
Chiang Rai was founded in 1262 by King Mengrai, who at this time ruled the Lanna Kingdom from Chiang Saen. After the conquest of new lands, he founded Chiang Rai, which he made the capital of the kingdom – a status that in 1296 passed to Chiang Mai, which was more secure with a longer distance to the troubled border to the north.
The town is a popular starting point for trekking in the beautiful and hilly surrounding nature as well as for trips to the Golden Triangle. However, Chiang Rai also has its own sights, not least in a number of temple complexes, but also a lovely atmosphere in the city’s streets and parks, in the market and in the night bazaar.
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