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'Chiang Mai' (in Thai ), also sometimes written as "Chiengmai", is the largest and most culturally significant city in northern Thailand, and is the capital of Chiang Mai Province. It is located at , some 700 km north of Bangkok, among some of the highest mountains in the country. The city stands on the Ping river, a major tributary of the Chao Phraya river.
In recent years, Chiang Mai has become an increasingly modern city, although it lacks the cosmopolitan gloss of Bangkok. It has many attractions for the thousands of foreign visitors who come each year. Chiang Mai's historic importance is derived from its important strategic location on an ancient trade route. Long before the modern influx of foreign visitors, the city served as an important centre for handcrafted goods, umbrellas, jewelry (particularly silver) and woodcarving.
While officially the city (thesaban nakhon) of Chiang Mai only covers most parts of the Mueang Chiang Mai district with a population of 150,000, the urban sprawl of the city now extends into several neighboring districts. This Chiang Mai Metropolitan Area has a population of almost 700,000 people, nearly half the total of Chiang Mai Province. The city itself is subdivided into 4 wards: Nakhon Ping, Srivijaya, Mengrai, and Kavila. The first three wards are on the west bank, while Kavila is located on the east back of Ping River. Nakhon Ping ward covers the north side of the city. Srivijaya, Mengrai, and Kavila cover the west, south, and east side respectively. The central part(old town) is covered mostly by Srivijaya ward and partly by Nakhon Ping and Mengrai wards. See the map of Chiangmai City wards

Contents

History

Emblem

Religious sites

Culture

Transportation

See also

References

External links

History

King Mengrai founded the city of Chiang Mai (meaning "new city") in 1296, and it succeeded Chiang Rai as capital of the Lannathai kingdom. Mengrai constructed a moat and a wall around the city to protect it against raids from Burma. With the decline in power of the Lannathai kingdom, the city lost importance and often was occupied by either the Burmese or Thais from Ayutthaya. As a result of the Burmese wars that ended with the fall of Ayutthaya in April 1767, Chiang Mai was so depopulated that its remaining inhabitants abandoned the city from 1776 to 1791. During that time, Lampang functioned as the capital of what remained of Lannathai.
Chiang Mai formally became part of Siam in 1774, when the Thai King Taksin captured it from the Burmese. Chiang Mai rose in both cultural, trading and economic terms to adopt its current status as the unofficial capital of the north of Thailand, second only in national importance to Bangkok.
The people generally speak Kham Muang (also known as Northern Thai or Lanna) amongst themselves, but the Central Thai of Bangkok is used in education and is understood by most. The old Kham Muang alphabet is now only studied by scholars and Northern Thai is commonly written using the standard Thai alphabet.
The modern municipal entity dates back to a sanitary district (''sukhaphiban'') created in 1915. It was upgraded to a municipality (''thesaban'') on March 29 1935, as published in the Royal Gazette, Book No.52 section 80. At first covering an area of 17.5 km², it was enlarged to cover 40.216 km² on April 5, 1983.^[1]

Emblem

The city emblem shows the chedi on top of Doi Suthep in its center, as being the most important place of worship of Chiang Mai. Below are clouds referring to the moderate climate in the hills of northern Thailand. Below is a naga, the mythological snake which is said to be the source of the Ping River. Above the heads of the naga are rice stalks, the major crop referring to the fertility of the area.^[2]

Religious sites

Chiang Mai has over 300 Buddhist temples (called "wats" in Thai). These include:
'Wat Phrathat Doi Suthep': the most famous temple in the area, standing on a hill to the north-west of the city. This temple dates from 1383. Its builders allegedly chose its site by placing a relic of the Lord Buddha on an elephant's back and letting the elephant roam until it came across a place where it trumpeted and circled before lying down. The onlookers took this as marking an auspicious place to build the temple. The temple's location also affords superb views over the city on a clear day.
'Wat Chiang Man': the oldest temple in Chiang Mai. King Mengrai lived here while overseeing the construction of the city. This temple houses two very important and venerated Buddha figures - Phra Sila (a marble Buddha) and Phra Satang Man (a crystal Buddha).
'Wat Phra Singh': located within the city walls, dates from 1345 and offers an example of classic northern Thai style architecture. It houses the Phra Singh Buddha, a highly venerated figure, transferred here many years ago from Chiang Rai.
'Wat Chedi Luang': founded in 1401 and dominated by the large Lanna style ''chedi'' which dates from the same time, but took many years to finish. An earthquake damaged the ''chedi'' in the 16th century and now only two-thirds of it remains.

'Wat Ched Yot': located on the outskirts of the city, this temple, built in 1455, hosted the Eighth World Buddhist Council in 1977.
'Wiang Kum Kam': the site of an old city situated on the southern outskirts of Chiang Mai. King Mengrai used this for ten years before the founding of Chiang Mai. The site has a large number of ruined temples.
'Wat U-Mong': a forest and cave wat in the foothills in the west of the city, near Chiang Mai University. Wat U-Mong is known for its grotesque concrete ''fasting Buddha'' and hundreds of pithy Buddhist proverbs in English and Thai posted on trees throughout its grounds.
'Wat Suan Dok': a 14th century temple located just west of the old city-wall. The temple was built by the King of Lanna for a revered monk visiting from Sukhothai to spend the rains retreat. The name translates as "the field of flowers temple." There are several unique aspects to this temple. One is the temple's large ubosot (ordination hall). This is unusual not only for its size, but also that it is open on the sides instead of enclosed. Secondly, there are a large number of chedis housing the ashes of the rulers of Chiang Mai. The temple is also the site of Mahachulalongkorn Rajavidyalaya Buddhist University.

Culture

Chiang Mai hosts many Thai festivals, including:



★ Loi Kratong (known locally as Yi Peng): Held on a full-moon night in November. Every year thousands of people assemble floating banana-leaf containers (''krathong'') decorated with flowers and candles onto the waterways of the city to worship the Goddess of Water. Lanna-style hot-air lanterns (''khom fai'') are launched into the air. These are believed to help rid the locals of troubles and are also taken to decorate houses and streets.

★ Songkran: Held in mid-April to celebrate the traditional Thai new year. Chiang Mai has become one of the most popular locations to visit for this festival. A variety of religious and fun-related activities (notably the good-natured city-wide water-fight) take place each year, along with parades and a Miss Songkran beauty competition.

★ 'Flower Festival': A three-day festival held during the first weekend in February each year, this event occurs when Chiang Mai's temperate and tropical flowers are in full bloom. The festivities include floral floats, parades, traditional dancing shows, and a beauty contest.
Chiang Mai has several universities, including Chiang Mai University, Rajabhat Chiang Mai University, Rajamangala University of Technology, Payap University, and Maejo University — as well as numerous technical and teacher colleges. Chiang Mai University was the first government university established outside of Bangkok.
Chiang Mai is a regional centre for a number of activities, including:

★ Hill-tribe tourism and trekking: A large number of tour companies offer organised treks among the local hills and forests on foot and on elephant back. Most also involve visits to the various local hill tribes. These include representatives from the Akha, Hmong, Karen, and Lisu tribes.

★ Elephant Nature Park: Approximately 60km north of the city or about one hour drive, the Elephant Nature Park is home to approximately 30 rescued elephants. You can visit the park with options ranging from a day trip to volunteering.

★ Other outdoor activities: The varied local terrain offers opportunities for mountain biking, elephant riding, bamboo rafting, and kayaking. The area has several golf courses. The nearby national park that includes Doi Inthanon, the highest mountain in Thailand, features many hiking trails.

★ Shopping: Chiang Mai has a large and famous nightly bazaar for arts, handicrafts, and counterfeit products of all descriptions, and a number of large, well-appointed modern shopping centres.

★ Thai massage: The back streets and main thoroughfares of Chiang Mai have a variety of massage parlours which offer anything from quick, simple, face and foot massages, to month-long courses in the art of Thai massage.

★ Local museums: These include the Chiang Mai City Arts and Cultural Centre, the Hill Tribe Museum, and the Chiang Mai National Museum.

★ Thai cookery: A number of Thai cooking schools have their home in Chiang Mai (see also Thai food)

Transportation

Bus, train and air connections serve Chiang Mai well. A number of bus stations link the city to central and northern Thailand. The Central Chang Pheuak terminal (north of Chiang Puak Gate) provides local services within Chiang Mai province and the Chiang Mai Arcade bus terminal northeast of the city (requires Songthaew or tuk tuk ride, see below) provides services to over 20 other destinations in Thailand including Bangkok, Ayutthaya, and Phitsanulok. There are several services a day from Chiang Mai Arcade terminal to Bangkok (a 10–12 hour journey).
The state railway operates 14 trains a day to Chiang Mai Station from Bangkok. Most journeys run overnight and take approximately 12–15 hours. Most trains offer first-class (private cabins) and a second-class (seats fold out to make sleeping berths) service.
To get to cities such as Mae Hong Son or Chiang Rai a plane or bus must be used. No trains are available to cities north of Chiang Mai.
Chiang Mai International Airport receives up to 28 flights a day from Bangkok (flight time about 1 hour 10 minutes) and also serves as a local hub for services to other northern cities such as Chiang Rai, Phrae and Mae Hong Son. International services also connect Chiang Mai with other regional centres, including Xian (China), Kunming (China), Luang Phrabang (Laos), Taipei (Taiwan), Singapore, Hong Kong, Yangon (Myanmar), Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia), and Tokyo (Japan).

The local preferred form of transport is personal motorbike and, increasingly, private car. In recent years, the number of private vehicles on the road has begun to result in traffic congestion in major arteries during peak travel times. Motorbikes are available for hire from many places in the city, and tourists take advantage of this service.
Local public transport is provided in two forms: tuk tuks and songthaews (the latter known locally as ''rot daeng'', literally "red car"). Minimum songthaew fare is 15 Thai baht and tuktuk fare is usually at least 40 baht; fare increases with distance. The fare is negotiable with the driver 'before' boarding. Songthaews and tuktuks normally operate until about 11pm or midnight, and then become scarce and more expensive to ride. Chiang Mai Bus was recently relaunched, serving routes in and around the city. Unlike Bangkok, which has the Bangkok Metro and Bangkok Skytrain, Chiang Mai does not have rapid transit public transport infrastructure.

See also

★ Chiang Mai Metropolitan Area

References

1. Chiang Mai municipality website
2. Chiang Mai municipality website

External links

★

★ Interactive Map of Chiangmai

★ Map of Chiangmai service map Chiangmai Town

★ The struggle to save classic Thai architecture by Lim Li Min