About Chiang Mai
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 to the city each year. Chiang Mai's historic strength was derived from its important strategic location near a southern branch of the ancient Silk Road, and long before the modern influx of foreign visitors the city served as an important centre for handcrafted goods, umbrellas, jewellery (particularly silver) and woodcarving.
While officially the city of Chiang Mai only covers the Mueang Chiang Mai district with a population of 150,000, the urban sprawl of the city extends into several neighbouring districts. This Chiang Mai Metropolitan Area has a population of nearly 700,000 people, nearly half of the whole Chiang Mai Province.
King Mengrai founded the city of Chiang Mai (meaning "new city") in 1296, and it succeeded Chiang Rai as the capital of the Lanna Thai kingdom. King Mengrai constructed a moat and a wall around the city to protect it against raids from Burma. With the decline of the Lanna Thai kingdom, the city lost importance and often was occupied by either the Burmese or by the Thais from Ayutthaya. As a result of the Burmese wars that culminated in the fall of Ayutthaya in April 1767, Chiang Mai itself was so depopulated that the remaining inhabitants abandoned the city for fifteen years (1776 - 1791). Lampang functioned as the capital of what remained of Lanna Thai during that time.
Chiang Mai formally became part of Siam in 1774, when the Thai King Thaksin captured the city from the Burmese. Chiang Mai rose in both cultural, trading and economic terms to gradually 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.
Chiang Mai has several universities, including Rachapat University, Rajamangala University of Technology, Chiang Mai University, Payap University and Mae Jo University -- as well as numerous technical and teacher colleges.
Chiang Mai is a regional centre for a number of activities, including:
Hill-tribe tourism and trekking: A large number of different 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.
Other outdoor activities: The varied local terrain also offers opportunities for mountain biking, elephant riding, bamboo rafting and kayaking. The area also 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 night bazaar for arts and handicrafts and a number of large, well-appointed modern shopping centres. A major attraction is the Sunday "Walking Street" market which takes place on the main street of the old city, Ratchadamnoen Road. Selling mostly arts and crafts from the surrounding hill tribes, it also features music and theatre.
Thai massage: The back streets and main thoroughfares of Chiang Mai have a variety of massage parlours which offer anything from quick, simple, facial 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.