|
Chiang Mai Information |
|
CITY ATTRACTIONS
Wat Phra Sing
Sam Lan Road This lovely temple dates from 1345 and is one of
the focal points of Songkran fes-tivities each April 13-15 when people
Bahte the revered Phra Buddha Sihing image. The temple compound
includes the lovely Lai Kham chapel with its exquisite wood-carvings
and northern-style murals, and a magnificent scriptural repository
with striking bas relief.
Wat Suan Dok
Suthep Road This temple was built in a 14th century Lanna
Thai monarch's pleasure gardens and is a favourite spot for
photographers, particularly for striking sunsets. Several of the white
chedis contain ashes of Chiang Mai's former royal family. The 500-
year-old bronze Buddha image in a sec-ondary chapel is one of
Thailand's larg-est metal images.
Wat Chiang Man
Ratchaphakhinai Road This is Chiang Mai's oldest temple and
probably dates from 1296. The temple was the residence of King Mengrai,
who founded Chiang Mai, and is noteworthy for a chedi supported by
rows of elephan-tine buttresses, and a small ancient Bud-dha image,
Phra Kaeo Khao.
Wat Ku Tao
near Chiang Mai Municipal Stadium This temple is noteworthy for
an unusual bulbous pagoda. The structure is deco-rated with colourful
porcelain chips and is believed to represent five Buddhist monks' alms
bowls which symbolise five Lord Buddhas.
Wat Chedi Luang
Phrapokklao Road This temple is the site of an enormous pagoda,
originally 280 feet high, and which was partially destroyed by an
earthquake in 1545. At one time, Wat Chedi Luang housed the revered
Emerald Buddha im-age now enshrined in Bangkok's Wat Phra Kaeo. A
magnificent Naga staircase adorns the chapel's front porch.
Wat Chet Yot
Super Highway, north of the Huai Kaeo-Nimmanhemin Roads
intersection This temple dates from 1458. The seven-spired square
chedi was inspired by de-signs at Bodhagaya, the site of the Buddha's
Enlightenment in north India over 2,500 years ago, and was built by
Lanna Thai architects after visiting the holy site.
Wat U-Mong
Suthep Road This delightful meditation temple is com-pletely
different from Chiang Mai's other major temples and enjoys a bucolic
forest setting. The ancient chedi is of particular interest.
Chiang Mai National Museum
Beside Wat Chet Yot The museum houses a collection of Lanna
Thai works of art, an-cient Bud-dha images, and war weapons . The
museum opens daily, except Mon-days, Tues-days and of-ficial holi-days,
from 9.00 AM un-til noon, and 1.00 until 4.00 PM. |
|
Back to top
 |
|
OUT OF CITY
Attractions
Doi Sutep Route (Road 1004)
Tribal Research
Institute
Chiang Mai University campus This contains a permanent
cultural exhi-bition of northern hilltribes. The centre is open,
Monday through Friday, from 8.30 AM until noon, and from 1.00 to
4.30 PM.
Chiang
Mai Arboreum
next to Chiang Mai University The attractively landscaped
garden con-tains many kinds of tropical trees and lovely
flowers.
Chiang Mai Zoo
next to the Chiang Mai Arboreum This artfully landscaped
complex occupies the lower forested slopes of Suthep moun-tain,
and contains a fascinating collection of Asian and African
mammals and birds.
Huai Kaeo Falls
beside Chiang Mai Zoo The cascade provides a delightful
ambi-ance for relaxation and picnics.
Khruba Sriwichai
Monument
foot of Suthep Mountain This monument honours the man
whose followers built the first motor road to Wat Phra That Doi
Suthep in 1935.
Wat Phra That Doi
Suthep
This temple is Chiang Mai's most impor-tant and visible
landmark, and overlooks the city from its forested mountain
back-drop. Wat Phra That Doi Suthep is 15 kiloemtres from town,
3,520 feet above sea level, and dates from 1383. The temple is
approached on foot by climbing a steep Naga staircase comprising
290 steps. The less energetic may ascend by funicular rail-cars.
The temple's golden pagoda con-tains holy Buddha relics, and
attracts Bud-dhist pilgrims from all over the world throughout
the year. The temple com-pound offers an exhilarating view of
Chiang Mai city and surrounding coun-tryside.
Phu Phing Palace
This is located on the same road, beyond Wat Phra That
Doi Suthep, on Doi Buak Ha, 22 kilometres from town. The royal
winter palace was built in 1962. The lav-ishly landscaped
gardens and grounds are open to the general public on Fridays,
Sat-urdays and Sundays,and official holidays, when the Thai
royal family is not in resi-dence.
Doi Pui Tribal
Village
This Meo tribal village is some 4 kilometres from the Phu
Phing Palace, and offers vi-gnettes of modern tribal life.
Pha Dam (Black Cliff)
This area near Wat Phra That Doi Suthep comprises a
scenic spot ideal for picnics.
Western Route
(Highway 108 & Road 1009)
Old Chiang Mai Cultural Centre
Located on the road to Chom Thong, the centre stages Lanna Thai
cultural per-formances with a Khantoke Dinner. Objets d'art are
displayed.
Earthenware &
Lacquerware Shops
These are clustered together, some 4 kilometres from
town, on the Chiang Mai-Hang Dong Road.
Wat Phra Borommathat
Si Chom Thong
This temple is 58 kilometres from Chiang Mai and dates
from the mid-1400s. The temple houses a collection of bronze
Bud-dha images, and the secondary chapel contains a holy Buddha
relic.
Mae Klang Waterfall
Chiang Mai's most photographed water-fall lies some 58
kilometres west of the city at the foot of Doi Inthanon
Mountain, and provides a picturesque setting for picnics and
relaxation.
Borichinda Cave
Visiting the cave, which provides a pleas-ant setting for
picnics, entails a 10-minute drive and a walk of some 2 hours
from the Mae Klang Waterfall.
Mae Ya Waterfall
This is located 12 kilometres from Chom Thong market and
is one of the hioghest waterfalls in Thailand.
Ob Luang Gorge
This picturesque gorge is 88 kilometres from Chiang Mai
provincial capital, and is framed by teak forests and mountains.
Doi Inthanon National
Park
The 1,005-square-kilometre park covers Thailand's highest
mountain (2,565 metres). The lovely Wachirathan, Sirip-hum and
Mae Pan waterfalls share the mountain with Meo and Karen
hilltribe settlements. Forest above 1,800 metres is covered with
lichens and wild orchids.
Northern Route
(Highway 107 & Road 1096)
Lanna Golf Course
This public 18-hole golf course is located on the Chiang Mai-Mae
Rim Road, some 4 kilometres from town. The course is open daily
from 6.00 AM until 7.00 PM. Golf club rentals and caddy services
are avail-able.
Chiang Mai Green
Valley Golf Course
This is located some 16 kilometres from town along the
same road, and is open to the public.
Orchid & Butterfly
Farms
Major nurseries in the Mae Sa Valley in-clude the
Mountain Orchid, Mae Rim Or-chid and Sai Nam Phung Orchid com-plexes.
Each provide opportunities for visitors to admire these exotic
year-round blooms. Certain orchid farms also have special
butterfly enclosures wherein ex-otic species can be seen in
their natural environment.
Mae Sa Waterfall
This 8-tiered waterfall is 26 kilometres from town and
occupies a natural setting among gigantic, towering trees.
Elephant Training
Centres
Each morning, at Km 10 on the Mae Rim-Samoeng route,
trained elephants demon-strate their formidable and
highly-valued forestry skills from 9.30 until 11.00 AM, at the
Mae Sa Elephant Training Centre. The centre is some 30
kilometres from town.A jungle tour on elephant back, lasting
more than two hours through adjacent forests, is of-fered after
the show. Elephants can also be seen at the Pong Yaeng Elephant
Centre at KM 19 on the same route, and the Elephant Na-ture Park
at Mae Taman on the Chiang Mai-Fang Road, some 57 kilometres
from Chiang Mai.
Taeng Dao Elephant
Camp
This riverside enclave, at KM 56 on High-way 107,
features daily shows of el- ephants at work, from 9.00 AM until
10.00 AM, and from 10.00 AM until 11.00 AM, and offers elephant
rides, and oppor-tunities for bucolic river-rafting through
largely pristine and tranquil forests, or jungle treks to
neighbouring hilltribe settle-ments.
Chiang Dao Caves
Sacred Buddha images occupy the caves of Wat Tham Chiang
Dao at KM 72 on Highway 107. Caves are illumi-nated by electric
lights. Deepest recesses can be explored with local guides.
Doi Ang Khang
This royal agricultural station, 163 kilometres north of
Chiang Mai pro-vincial capital, is a demonstration site for
planting and researching flowering plants, temperate fruit
trees, vegetables and other crops, and enjoys the patronage of
His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej.
Fang Hot Springs
Located at Ban Pin, also 163 kilometres north of Chiang
Mai provincial capital, 50 hot springs occupy a 10-acre forest
set-ting. Three boil continuously with a string smell of sulphur.
Water temperatures at the springs range from 90 to 100 degrees
Celsius.
Eastern Route (Road
101)
Bo Sang Umbrella/Parasol Village
The world-famous village is 9 kilometres from town, along
a road lined with handi-craft- producing factories. In genuine
cot-tage industries, young women manufac-ture silk and cotton
umbrellas and paper parasols which are subsequently hand painted
in various animal and floral de-signs. Generations of Bo Sang
families have been engaged in umbrella and para-sol making for
more than 200 years.
San Kamphaeng Cotton
& Silk Weaving Village
This equally famous village is located 13 kilometres from
town. The village is the major source of all Thai silk and
cotton produced in Chiang Mai. The fabrics are woven by local
folk on traditional wooden looms, and are sold in a wide variety
of plain lengths, plaids, brocades, stripes, prints and checks.
San Kamphaeng Hot
Springs
This is located 36 kilometres from town amid natural
surroundings of trees and verdant hills. The water has a high
sul-phur content and possesses curative and restorative
properties. Accomm-odation, a swimming pool, dining facilities
and seg-regated mineral water Bahting rooms are available.
Accommodation can be booked by contacting the San Kamphaeng Hot
Spring Cooperative Village, Chiang Mai 50130 or Tel:
01-510-0418. Nearby is Roong Arom Hot Spring Re-sort which
offers bungalows, mineral Bahts and a sumptupous park setting. |
|
Back to top
|
|
TREKKING TOURS
Meo, Lisu, Yao, Akha, Lawa and Karen hilltribes live throughout
northern Thailand's mountains.They share animist beliefs and
honour numerous forest and guardian spirits. Each tribe has
distinctive ceremonial attire, courtship rituals, games, dances,
agricultural customs, puberty rites, languages or dialects,
aesthetic values and hygienic habits. Popular 'Jungle Treks',
lasting from 2 to 7 days, take visitors through forested
mountains and high valleys and meadows, and include visits to
remoter high-altitude hilltribe settlements for overnight stays.
The best guides are hilltribe youths who customarily speak
English, Thai and at least three tribal dialects. Treks commonly
feature travel by foot, sometimes by boat, elephant-back,
horse-back or jeep, frequently a combination of two or three
modes of transportation. Prospective trekkers are advised to
shop around companies offering such tours for the best
conditions. All treks must be registered with the Tourist
Police. This is done for trekkers' protection. Avoid companies
that do not abide by this law. Also, avoid narcotics,
essentially everything from 'soft drugs' such as marijuana to
'hard drugs' such as opium and heroin, both during travel and at
hilltribe villages. There are severe penalties for such usage.
Valuables, such as passport, jewllery and money, should be
deposited in the safe of your hotel or guest house while you are
trekking upcountry. Wear sensible clothing to protect your limbs
and sleep under a mosquito net at night. Malaria is a real
threat, and sen-sible precautions should be taken to avoid it.
Visitors should remember to
-
Respect hilltribe
beliefs and religious symbols and structures.
-
Dress modestly.
Hilltribe people are generally modest. Inappropriate attire
may offend them.
-
Ask permission
before photographing someone. Some villages do not permit
photography.
-
Avoid trading
western medicines and articles of clothing. Contributions to
their welfare, items such as pens, paper, needles, thread,
cloth and material used for embroidery are perfectly
acceptable. Trek prices are determined by the duration of the
trip, transportation modes, meals available and the size of
the trekking party.
|
|
Back to top
|
|
SHOPPING
Chiang Mai is, quite simply, Thailand's major centre for quality
handicrafts. The visitor need merely visit the nearest city
emporium or night market to purchase an extraordinary variety of
antiques, silver jewellery, hilltribe opium pipes and
embroidery, Thai silks and cottons, basketry, celadon,
silverware, furniture, lacquerware, woodcarvings and parasols. A
major advantage of shopping in Chiang Mai is that the visitor
may watch artisans working within the city and in sev-eral
outlying villages, particularly along the Bo Sang-San Kamphaeng
road where, in genuine cottage industries, parasols, silk and
cotton weaving, jewellery, wood-carv-ing, silverware, celadon
and lacq-uerware are manufactured, and number among popular
purchases. Major Chiang Mai products include
Cottons AND Silks
First-class Chiang Mai cottons and silks are of
incomparable quality. Cottons and silks have innumerable fashion
and furnish-ing applications. The largest possible se-lection is
available in San Kamphaneg.
Umbrellas/Parasols
These are inextricably associated with Bo Sang where
villagers have been engaged in their manufacture for at least
200 years. All materials, silks, cottons, sa paper (manufactured
from the bark of the mul-berry tree), and bamboo are produced or
found locally. Visitors to Bo Sang will see literally hundreds
of designs and sizes ranging from the miniature to the gigantic.
Silverware
The finest Thai silverware is exquisite, and is made in
Chiang Mai, where certain families have prectised their art for
several generations. Traditional skills and a guaran-teed
content of at least 92.5% pure silver invest bowls, receptacles
and decorative items with authentic value. Silver shops are
concentrated on Wua Lai Road, where silverware artisans and
their families live.
Lacquerware
Striking black and gold designs give lacquerware its
visual appeal and sheen. This decorative art enhances items made
of wood, bamboo, metal, paper and baked clay, in the form of
receptacles, ornaments and various souvenirs.
Furniture/Woodcarving
Chiang Mai's Ban Thawai village in Hang Dong district, is
a major centre of furniture making. Major woods and materials
in-clude teak, rosewood and rattan. Items may be unadorned or,
especially with teak and rosewood, artfully carved in
traditional or modern designs. Woodcarving is a traditional
northern Thai art featured in numerous temples. In recent years,
wood carving has increasingly embellished furniture, gracing
screens, chairs, tables, beds, indeed anything bearing a wooden
surface large enough to be carved. Carved elephants, figurines
and tableware number among other popular purchases.
Hilltribe Products
These include silver ornaments, such as bracelets,
necklaces, pendants, hairpins and pipes of intricate design, and
embroidered items including tunics, jackets,bags, purses, caps
and dress lengths.
Gold Plated Orchids
and Butterflies
Orchids and butterflies are preserved and plated with 24
carat gold to create unusual gift items such as necklace
pendants, hair-pins and earrings.
Pottery
Chiang Mai is the major centre of Thailand's pottery
industry. Prized items include high fired celadon which is
produced in many forms, including dinner sets, lamp bases and
decorative items. |
|
Back to top
|
|
MAJOR EVENTS AND
FESTIVALS
Chiang
Mai celebrates many annual festivals. Three are particularly
lively and lovely. They are the Flower Festival, the first
Friday and weekend of every February, Songkran, 13-15 April each
year, and Loi Krathong on the fullmoon night of the twelfth
lunar month, generally in No-vember.
Flower Festival
The 3-day event occurs during the period when Chiang
Mai's temperate and tropical flowers are in full bloom and at
their colourful best. Festivities include colourful floral
floats, parades, music and dancing, and beauty pageants.
Songkran
This festival celebrates the traditional Thai New Year
with religious merit-making, pilgrimages, beauty parades,
dancing, merri ment and uninhibited, goodnatured water throwing.
Loi Krathong
People float away under the full moon, onto rivers,
canals and lakes, bananaleaf boats bearing a lighted candle,
incense, flower and small coin to honour the water spirits and
wash away the previous year's misfortunes.
The Bo Sang Umbrella
Fair & San Kamphaeng Handicrafts Festival
each January celebrates traditional skills and features
contests, exhibitions, stalls selling umbrellas and other
handicrafts, and the selection of a Miss Bo Sang. |
|
Back to top
|
|
|
Information
provided by T.A.T
(Tourism Autority of Thailand) |
|
|
|
