Chiang Mai in Northern Thailand

Chiang Mai: Rose of the North

Often referred to as the ‘Rose of the North’, Chiang Mai is the economic and cultural centre of Northern Thailand and the focus of tourism within the region. Tropical mountain ranges and hills come out from lush, fertile jungle greenery. Numerous national parks display an abundance of flowers and wildlife, particularly elephants. And you can visit tribal peoples and tribal villages.

Located about 700 kilometers from Bangkok, this was originally the capital of the Lanna Thai kingdom created by King Mengrai in 1296. Situated on the Mae Ping River and around 310 meters above sea level, some of the main attractions in the area include Wat Phra That Doi Suthep and Doi Intanon – Thailand’s biggest mountain.

By 1300 A.D. the Thai people had established themselves in the northern parts of Thailand. Chiang Mai was a key market on the trade routes from Yunnan, China to the Burmese ports where goods arrived from, and were sent to, India and beyond. 

Chiang Mai Today: Hodge Podge, Culturally Diverse And Unique

Today, the inhabitants of Chiang Mai are a well-mixed lot. The people living in the valleys think of themselves as Thais with a difference - they have their own distinct language and are in fact a mixture of Mon, Lawa, Lao and Thai Lue amongst others. To the west live many Shan and Karen while in the mountains, over the past hundred years, tens of thousands of hill tribe people have settled after fleeing from troubles in Burma, Laos and China - Hmong, Akha, Lisu, Musser, Yao and the long necked Padaung. There are also many overseas Chinese, Chin Haw Muslim traders from Yunnan and increasing numbers of Europeans and Americans who have come to live in the beautiful and gentle valley of Chiang Mai.

Chiang Mai valley averages 310 meters above sea level, and the province covers 20,107 square kilometers. The widest point of the province measures 136 kilometers, and the longest 320 kilometers.

Mountains and forests cover more than 80% of Chiang Mai’s land. Its largest and most important river is the Ping, which originates in the mountains north of Chiang Dao and flows southwards for 540 kilometers. It is along the banks of this river that Chiang Mai's flat valley area lays.

Chiang Mai is also home to Thailand's highest mountain, Indianan Mountain, which stands 2,565 meters above sea level.

In relation to the rest of Thailand, Chiang Mai is considered to be quite cool with an average yearly temperature of 25.4°C. The highest temperatures are in the low 40s and the lowest 5-10°C. There are three seasons in Northern Thailand: summer (hot and humid), rainy (wet - monsoon) and winter (cool and dry).

For centuries, Chiang Mai has been the center of religious activity in Northern Thailand. During the Lanna era, Buddhism was the main religion that flourished and grew. Evidence of this is seen in the many ancient temples in Chiang Mai.

Chiang Mai Province has a population of some 1,600,000 of whom 172,000 live in Chiang Mai city. 80% of the people are locals by birth and speak kam muang, which is a language close to Siamese but which has its own distinctive script. The other 20% is made up of southern Thais, Chinese, Indians and an increasing number of farang (foreigners).

The term khon muang refers to all the people living in Lanna or upper northern Thailand, which is made up of the provinces of Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai, Lampang, Lamphun, Phrae, Nan, Phayao and Mae Hong Son.

The original inhabitants were the Lawa (as it were the Celts of Europe) and the Mons with their Kingdom of Hariphunchai base on present day Lampang and Lamphun. By the thirteenth century various Thai tribes had moved into and taken control of the fertile river valleys, defeated the Mon and pushed the Lawa into the hills.

Lanna was over-run by Burma in 1558 and they were not finally driven out until 1775. The legacy of those sad years is still to be seen in some architecture and customs. For twenty years after the withdrawal of the Burmese the city of Chiang Mai was deserted and much of the rest of Lanna depopulated.

Gradually the new ruler of Chiang Mai, Kavila, took control. He brought in Thai tribes from the north, Ngieo, Khoen, Thai Yai, Thai Lu, Yuan and Lao to till the land and populate the towns. It is this mix of people who are today proud to call themselves khon muang.