Descriptions: Originally called Wat Pa Yia (Bamboo Forest Monastery) in the local dialect, this is the city’s most revered Buddhist temple. The main prayer hall is a medium-sized, well-preserved wooden structure. The octagonal chedi (stupa) behind it dates from the late 14th century and is in typical Lanna style. The adjacent two-storey wooden building is a museum […]
Descriptions: Just outside the western gate is the ‘teak forest’ temple of Wat Pa Sak. Several structures are still visible. The main chedi (pagoda) was built in 1340 by Saen Phu, the founder of Chiang Saen. The temple’s name alludes to the hundreds of teak trees planted on the order of Saen Phu. Wat Pa Sak, ‘The […]
Descriptions: The collection of Lanna art on display at the Mae Fah Luang Art and Cultural Park has been collected by the Mae Fah Luang Foundation under Royal Patronage. It represents the finest exhibition and collection of Northern Thai artefacts in Thailand. The Lanna Kingdom was founded by King Mengrai in the 13th century AD. […]
Descriptions: The Hall of Opium Museum is a combination of multimedia and exhibition to make learning more fun. Aiming to educate people about opium, this exhibition portrays every angle of the story, starting from the history of the Golden Triangle, the origin of opium, the opium war, opium warlords, drug smugglers, opium effects, the battle against opium and poppy […]
Descriptions: Another of Chiang Rai’s more extraordinary sites, in a town that’s blessed with several rather eccentric attractions, is the highly unusual Baan Dam. Commonly known as the Black House it’s a park containing a diverse and sprawling series of buildings, displays, sculptures and installations, lying in Ban Du district a short hop north of […]
Lahu people are to be found in the mountains of China, Myanmar (Burma), Laos and northern Thailand. There are approximately 25000 Lahus now living in Thailand. There are four tribes within the Lahu: Black, Red, Yellow and She-Leh. Lahu villages are mostly at high altitude in the northern provinces of Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai and […]
Union hill tribe villages were established since 20 years ago in Nanglae District, not very far from Chiang Rai city. It is where 5 hill tribe villages with more than 200 villagers living in, which are Akha tribe, Iu Mien (Yao) Tribe, Lahu (Muser) Tribe, Palong (Big earring) tribe and Long Neck (Kayan) tribe. We […]
Once one of the major cities of the Lanna kingdom, it was originally called Wiang Hiran Nakhon Ngoen Yang and served as the capital before King Mengrai established Chiang Rai in 1262. The town was captured by the Burmese in the 16th century and sacked by King Rama I in 1803. Left a ghost town […]
The Golden Triangle is in Chiang Rai Province, in the far north of Thailand. The English name comes from the meeting of Laos, Myanmar and Thailand here, but to the locals it’s Sop Ruak, since this is where the Mekong meets the Ruak River. Historically the Golden Triangle has been an area well-known for the […]
Hilltribe Museum and Education Centre is run by a nonprofit organization called the Population and Community Development Association (PDA) with the intention of teaching people about the hilltribes and strengthening the their position in Thai society. The centre exhibits local crafts, all of which are for sale, and also provides information through slideshows (in a […]
Mae Salong’s early history centred on the the opium trade of the Golden Triangle. Its recent history was shaped by the 93rd Division of the Chinese Nationalist Army that refused to surrender to Chinese communists after the Nationalist Kuomintang government was routed in 1949. Unlike most of the unrelenting nationalists that fled to Taiwan in […]