The Kingdom of Lanna
"Thousands of candles can be lighted from a single candle, and the life of the candle will not be shortened. Happiness never decreases by being shared."
Buddhist saying
The country that we now refer to as Thailand only achieved its present form in the nineteenth century. Before that the north was known as the Kingdom of Lanna. Lanna means one million rice fields. Chiang Mai was historically the capital of Lanna. Rice paddies surround the city, across the plains, and nestling in the valleys between the forested mountains.
The Kingdom of Lanna has a documented history beginning in the eighth century and its cultural influence is far reaching with distinctive peoples, art, music, architecture and landscape.
Many people had told me that Chiang Mai and the Kingdom of the North was the most enjoyable place they visited in Thailand and we were keen to see this magical destination.
Chiang Mai
In my mind we were headed into a rural paradise and Chiang Mai was a scenic village. We flew into a well equipped international airport where I had arranged for a taxi to meet us and take us to our hotel. It came as a something of a shock to be greeted by a heaving metropolis of a city. Chiang Mai is actually the second largest city in Thailand and the urban area covers 405 sq km and is home to over a million people.
In the centre, however, is the Old City which does insulate you in a small historical bubble. Occupying a square, just under 3 sq km, and bounded by canals, it holds the oldest buildings of the city and some of the most significant temples.
You can get your bearings here before branching out to the sights further afield.
Clearly more upmarket, Makka Hotel had a more elegant vibe than usual for us, but I would have gone there just to see how you fold a towel into an elephant! They definitely missed a marketing opportunity, bed, breakfast and a free towel origami workshop included!
This time I had opted for an upgrade, a small boutique hotel with breakfast, called Makka, situated in a perfect position, tucked in a narrow alley way in the heart of the Old City.
The decor was Thai inspired and impressive with arched windows and vaulted ceilings. A water garden sat between the reception and the restaurant with lotus blossoms and a tinkling fountain.
We could wander the narrow streets and alleyways, lined with cafes, hostels, restaurants, bars, galleries and souvenir shops, and reach all the sights easily on foot. Tuk tuks were the main mode of transport because they could get down the narrow roads easier. Many of the streets are one way to control the traffic congestion.
When we were tired we could return to our little oasis.
The first thing we did was go for an exploratory wander and found a little yoga studio called Yoga Pretzel above a massage parlour. Dudley was delighted to continue his yoga journey and visited often over the next 4 days.
We wandered the streets to get our bearings, past some large temples and along the shopping streets. We found a small restaurant the size of a cupboard but heaving with customers and had our first taste of the famed cuisine.
We found more foreign tourists on the streets, Chiang Mai is a popular place. We laughed sympathetically at the little European families desperately looking for pizza to appease their teenage kids.
Not to worry, Chiang Mai was very aware of the marketability of western foods. Even we indulged now and again. You can have too much of a good thing where Thai food is concerned. 7/11 and the humble toasted sandwich remained a life saver.
Yoga Pretzel
We became very familiar with this little square of history framed by the canals and protected from the modern world by ancient bridges. Lotus flowers drifted in the canals which were continuously aerated with pumps, I assume to keep the water moving and prevent stagnation and decay.
We shopped in the markets and ate at the cafes and restaurants. We saw the sights, museums, statues and temples.
We found a small art gallery belonging to a local artist called Kaew which featured monochromatic street scenes, markets and temples, with splashes of colour, and knew we had found our lasting souvenir. They portrayed the charm, beauty and chaos we had come to love. I ordered a set of 3 A3 pictures to take home. She even had a picture which just showed the tangle of electrical street wiring. I thought it was ugly but I am sorry I did not buy it now.
The wiring reached new levels here in the North.
The street art continued to entertain us but this lot looked like they were tripping. A sign of our proximity to the Golden Triangle perhaps?
Markets outside the historic centre were heaving with multi-storey brightly coloured stalls.
We visited once but then returned to our quiet historic haven, heads spinning. I am sure you could buy anything although a lot of the stock looked like it had been delivered by Temu.
We found every dried fruit and tried the dried lychees. Incredibly sweet and a strange powdery consistency.
Old City Sights
There was a lot to explore in the Old City and we focused on the most important temples and the local museums. I always find a museum helps you to understand the place and put things into context so it sharpens your appreciation of what you see.
Because of its position on multiple borders Lanna has had a lot of historical conflict with the neighbours and was under Burmese rule for a long period. They were finally driven out in the 18 th century.
Lanna was then a vassal state before being annexed by Siam at the end of the 19th century. This means that the history of Lanna was not the same as the south and central areas of Thailand and there are distinct differences in culture, language, traditional crafts and art.
There are many culturally distinct groups in the border areas, known as the Hill Tribes, traditionally nomadic agriculturists. Some with very distinct dress and decorations.
The 3 Kings and the cultural museum behind.
In the centre of the old City is a landmark statue called the 3 Kings monument. Cast in bronze it shows Kings Mangrai, Ramkhamhaeng and Ngam Mueang who are considered to be the founding fathers of the Kingdom of Lanna.
Together they chose the site and established the city of Chiang Mai in the 13th century as the new capital.
The statue stands outside the Chiang Mai Cultural Centre and we went there to collect some background.
In the Cultural Museum there are many rooms with depictions of the history of Chiang Mai, scale models of the temples and dioramas and old photographs. Short films are shown. We browsed there for a couple of hours, fascinated. They include an introduction to the Hill Tribes and a room with Chiang Mai arts and crafts.
The next stop was Wat Phra Singh. This is the biggest temple in the area with a large compound with several temples and pavilions on site. It has a beautiful scripture repository.
Outside every temple you take off your shoes. Sometimes there is just a tangle of shoes like the old viharn Lai Kham above, sometimes they provide racks. I often looked at my battered trainers and wondered what would happen if I got out and found them gone. Don't wear your Jimmy Choos if you are visiting a Thai temple. Having said that we never saw a whisper of theft or crime.
The modern temple has an ornate Naga balustrade to the entrance.
Behind this the ancient temple, Viharn Lai Kham, dates back to the 14th century and was built to house the Buddah statue. It is classic Lanna architecture with gilded sweeping pediments.
Inside are some more of the weirdly realistic and slightly creepy wax figures of dead monks, but the most exceptional feature is the beautiful fresco decorating the walls.
Created around 1820, this is said to be one of the best examples of Lanna art and gives a glimpse into the way of life, dress and customs of the Lanna people from this time.
Wax monks, alumni of the temple
Even more impressive than the temple is a huge gold Chedi supported by elephants and surrounded by giant bells. The sun glints off this dazzling edifice like a halo.
We saw quite a lot of Thai people there in traditional dress posing for photos. It seems the Thai people go to a lot of trouble to capture their insta ready moments.
Maybe this is a good place to just clarify some of the interesting Thai architectural terms, especially as they relate to buddhist structures, as it can get confusing. Wat is a Thai Buddhist temple complex. A wat comprises many buildings.
Viharn is a word for Buddhist temple, monastery or assembly hall. One wat can have, and usually does have more than one viharn.
Chedi is a bell shaped tower. Typically chedis are large buildings and you can enter them. They may contain altars, buddhas or relics.
Stupa is also a bell shaped tower, to some extent interchangeable with chedi, but a term more common in Indian Buddhism. In Thailand we found the term stupa was used for smaller bell shaped structures, often with very sharp pointed tops, built to house relics or remains. You cannot enter a stupa because it is generally a solid structure in which things have been interred.
Pracat means castle, palace or temple, and is used to describe a building featuring an ornate, usually multilayered roof structure with one or more spires. A viharn is often also a pracat but not all precast are viharns.
Prang is a tall tower-like spire, usually richly carved, common in buildings of the Hindu and Khmer empires and adapted by the Thai people as a feature of their most important buddhist temples. The Khmer style is usually in a corncob shape, reminiscent of the temples of Ankgor Wat, the quintessential Khmer architecture.
Pagoda is a tiered tower with multiple layered eaves, usually seen in Chinese style buildings.
Ubosot is the ordination hall where the monks are ordained. They are usually surrounded by boundary stones marking the sacred area. During ceremonies, and on certain days, only monks may go inside the sacred boundary. The ubosot is also a viharn and may be a pracat depending on style. Not all viharns are ubosot however. There is usually only one ubosot per wat.
I am sure you are saying that is as clear as mud!
Some Buddhist wisdom.
Bells and gongs feature large in most temples. Ringing temple bells in Buddhism symbolizes cleansing earthly desires and purifying the mind. It may be a call to prayer and signifies Buddha's message reaching far and wide.
Most places encourage respectful ringing and provide special sticks to perform this. The sound is believed to have a calming, meditative effect that can reduce stress and anxiety.
The second important temple in the Old City is Wat Chedi Luang, only about 200m from our hotel.
This temple was started in 14 th century but only finished in the 15 th century, possibly because of structural instability. When completed it was 82m high and 54 m at the base and the largest building in all Lanna. The famed Emerald Buddha was installed in the eastern niche in 1468 but the structure collapsed in 1545 after an earthquake and the Emerald Buddha was moved to Luang Prabang in Laos.
In the 1990s the chedi was partially reconstructed but still retains an ancient, partially ruined vibe.
The Emerald Buddha is the most sacred religious object in Thailand. Thought to have originated in India and, according to folklore, with the aid of the gods. It has travelled extensively in SE Asia through Sri Lanka, Cambodia, Laos and Thailand before Rama 1 moved it to Bangkok in 1785, where it has been ever since.
It is made of a shining clear emerald coloured crystal, actually jasper, not emerald. It is a powerful religious and political symbol bringing good fortune and prosperity to Thailand.
During our travels we were often following in the footsteps of the Emerald Buddha.
Chiang Mai has a close relationship to the Emerald Buddha, it resided here from 1468-1552 in the Wat Chedi Luang before being moved to Bangkok. Copies are common , not just in Wat Chedi Luang, although they are not allowed to be exact in dimensions. Mostly they are a bit bigger than the original I think. These are some of the copies we saw in Chiang Mai.
The Shrine of the City Pillar
Also on the site of the Wat Chedi Luang is the temple of the City Pillar. City pillars are special in Thailand, most cities or large towns have them and they are seen as the spiritual heart and guardian of a city. They represent prosperity, protection and community spirit. Each pillar houses a guardian spirit and serves as a sacred centre where locals offer prayers and seek blessings for good fortune
On the down side women are forbidden to enter the city pillars because they menstruate. Menstrual blood is considered dirty and humiliates and ruins the sanctity of the city pillar.
Failure to follow these rules leads to social instability. Apparently. Also no free passes for the menopause. Is there anything good about the menopause?
Inside the new Viharn at Wat Chedi Luang
In the Wat Chedi Luang viharn were many gilded figures of gods and they were selling small squares of gold foil. You buy a square and apply it to the god of your choice. Hence all the guilded figures. I had been puzzled initially because they are all a bit flaky but that's because of the multiple little foil patches. The cost of the foil depends on its quality. Naga was a bit naked and I was still hoping for our camera so we obliged!
The SilverTemple
I had seen an area on the map which was called Silver Road, leading away from the Old City so, hoping for silver crafts, we headed that way next day. We crossed the bridge over the canals and headed down into a rather run down area, past low end hostels and bars. Because we were tired we arrived late and the silver shops were mostly closed. They were also old and dark and filled with religious and homeware silver rather than jewellery.
Undeterred we carried on and stumbled onto one of our favourite finds, Wat Srisuphan or The Silver Temple
This small but exquisite temple was made by the silversmiths of the area and is made entirely of silver coloured metal. There is debate how much is silver but it does not really matter. It is quite spectacularly beautiful. After I paid my entrance fee I was told I could not go in because, you guessed it, I am woman. I was informed kindly I could watch on YouTube. Lucky for them I had my sense of humour hat on. It was still spectacular to wander around and we returned a second time, we were so impressed.
Dudley went in so I got to see inside vicariously through his photos.
The temple was origonally constructed in the 16 th century but not much of the origonal buildings remain. The silver ordination hall or Ubotsot was built between 2004 and 2016. Surprisingly it does not seem to be on the main tourist route.
Mice are seen as the vehicle of Ganesha, the elephant god and remover of obstacles. To make a wish, you can whisper your desire into the mouse's ear, and the statue is believed to carry your wish to Ganesha. We found lots of mice at The Silver Temple.
It was a popular spot for photo shoots in traditional dress.
Workshops outside the temple where the craftsmen were doing traditional metal working
Wat Phra That Doi Suthep
300 steps lead up to the temple enclosed in a massive Naga balustrade
Doi Suthep is a mountain just over 1600m tall, about 15 km west of Chiang Mai. It is covered in evergreen forest and is a local beauty spot for hiking and trekking. Many rivers run through the mountains into the Ping River, and there are scenic waterfalls.
We set off by taxi which climbed a winding road, with many hair pinned bends, up into the forest.
For us the main claim to fame was the Wat Phra That Doi Suthep, a 14 th century temple near the mountain top. Legend has it that a monk found a Buddha relic believed to be part of a shoulder blade. A piece of this was placed on a white elephant which was left loose to roam the area. He reached the top of Doi Suthep and trumpeted 3 times then laid down and died (it is a stiff climb!) The king then decreed the temple be built on the spot. Its a good story.
This elaborately carved frieze shows the elephant climbing up Doi Suthep and expiring. Wat Phra That Doi Suthep is considered to be one of the most sacred pilgrimage spots in Thailand. There is a Monks trail through the forest to walk to the temple.
Visakha Bucha is one of the holiest days in Buddhism. It marks three major events in the life of Buddha: his birth, enlightenment, and death, which are said to have occurred on the same day of different years. An annual pilgrimage up Doi Suthep occurs on this day which may attract thousands of pilgrims.
At the temple the street was thronged with food and holy relic vendors. You can climb 300 steps to the temple or take a funny outside lift. I opted for the lift but Dudley climbed.
You arrive in a large complex of buildings with a courtyard and viharn.
Through the temple is another courtyard complete with a large golden chedi and multiple temples and shrines around the perimeter.
It was clearly a special day. The temple was thronged with people in their best clothing. In the courtyard were tables groaning under the weight of all sorts of food and fruits. One side was roped off for VIPs. Many monks were moving around or seated leading chants or prayers.
I even saw a monk performing what looked to be a healing ceremony on a girl with a bag of herbs on her head. Maybe a headache? You can tell I am a neurologist hey!
The healing ceremony on the left and placing a silver body leaf on the right for luck and prosperity
The monks started to line up to walk around the chedi clockwise , chanting and they were followed by the congregation carrying flowers and candles.
After all this everyone suddenly fell on the tables and started taking the food in a sort of frenzy. Plastic bags appeared from nowhere to stash the loot. I think the food was blessed and therefore had special meaning. Even the monks were taking things. Often a whole plateful was tipped straight in the bag.
The chief monk was handing out food and religious talismans.
We decided this was probably the ceremony for the beginning of the rainy season. During this time the monks stay in their parent monastery, without travelling, and they are gifted with candles and supplies.
Anyway we were very privileged to witness the ceremony. We were free to float around and photograph whatever we pleased.
There was so much food the tables groaned under the weight. The large candles are gifted at this time as it is said they will burn for the 3 months of the rainy season
After all the fun was over we reclaimed our shoes and wandered around the compound. There was a small coffee shop overlooking the monks living quarters.
One advantage of being on top of a mountain are the beautiful scenic views.
The Lookout. People had jammed coins into the elaborate carvings of the 4 posts
Chiang Mai Zoo
Walking around the zoo would have been brutal, the pens are large and the terrain hilly but you had choices of a golf cart hire or a small open tram with fixed stops.
Chital Deer
Gharial or long nosed croc. It is a freshwater crocodile of the Indian subcontinent and critically endangered.
On the way back from Doi Sothep we passed the Chiang Mai Zoo. I was still keen to see some of the unique asian animals up close and it was given a good report in my guide book so we stopped off for a visit.
As it happened the guide book was once again pretty outdated. The zoo was expensive and the animals rather sad. Maybe that is the case for all zoos. The more I live in Africa the more I hate to see animals caged. The environment always looks bare and desolate. Any animal worth its salt will quickly eat anything growng in its pen.
Anyway we hired a sort of golf cart and zoomed around for a couple of hours. Okay that bit was fun!
The star attractions, the Giant Panda and the Asian Rhino, were both away. I struggled to think of somewhere they were likely to have gone together. An endangered animal conference perhaps. I hope it was not code for died.
We saw some spotted deer and another type of asian buffalo. There were more species of tortoise than I even knew existed. We saw the sun bear and the asiatic black bear and a glimpse of gibbon. They are very secretive those gibbons. Many beautiful birds, local and exotic.
So it was worth it to a point, but I am still left with a long list of asian animals I really want to see. I think there are many better things to do around Chiang Mai than the zoo.
The Silver Pheasant and the Forest Fowl. I know it looks like a chicken but we had looked hard for it in the rain forest.
White Handed or Lar gibbon. It is endangered by loss of habitat but at last we got to see what made all the hooting noise in Khao Sok.
Looking North
One of the odd things about Chiang Mai is when you checked out the listed must see attractions, the first 3 things to come up were all in Chiang Rai, and when we looked at this it was a 7 hour round road trip. As a day trip it sounded horrendous. I mean how much time did that leave to actually see anything?
That was just weird so we booked ourselves on a bus for Chiang Rai and a hostel with a cat obsession, Sleepy House, (that one was for my cat mad daughter Lisa), and the next instalment of our adventure. We wanted to give ourselves time to explore the true north of the Lanna Kingdom and the notorious border area.
There were other places we wanted to go in and around Chiang Mai, like a boat trip up the Ping River, but the weather was not always conducive. We could see that the rains in the North were building in intensity and frequency and maybe our stay in this end of the country would need to be curtailed.
On the plus side our camera arrived on the day we were packing to leave, delivered, as promised, to the hotel reception. That was a special karma indeed.
Next stop Chiang Rai and the Golden Triangle. Time for some opium.