The Magic of Chiang Mai
I've been in several times Chiang Mai and I've come to love it. Sometimes I was only there for a few days, sometimes a little longer. I was recently there for 3 months.
The north that what used to be the kingdom of Lanna and specifically Chiang Mai is different from other regions. It should be said that for me every region has its own charm.
History and culture
Lanna, near Burma, now Myanmar, has its own history. The Kingdom of Lanna was founded in 1259 by King Mengrai the Great. In 1262 he founded the city of Chiang Rai as his capital, named after himself. The kingdom grew rapidly by uniting many local Thai leaders in the area under his leadership. In 1296 he founded the city of Chiang Mai as the new capital of his empire. Chiang Mai literally means “New City”. At the end of the 19th century, Siam formally annexed the kingdom of Lanna and in the early 20th century Lanna became a full part of Thailand.
An important Buddhist legend set in Chiang Mai tells of a white elephant that was sent into the jungle with the supposed shoulder bone of Buddha, eventually leading to the foundation of the temple Wat Phrathat Doi Suthep.
Unlike most Thai cities, Chiang Mai is a city that breathes antiquity and culture. In addition, Chiang Mai's past is not something that can only be found in dusty history books, but something you can see and experience every day. It is part of daily life in Chiang Mai. Defined by a 600-year-old moat and ramparts, the city sits in the shadow of a 14th-century monastery and is dotted with Wats (temples) that have been venerated by kings for centuries. In total, Chiang Mai is home to an impressive 300 temples. I think nowhere in Thailand is the total temple density so high.
Temples Chiang Mai
If you walk in the old town of Chiang Mai, I recommend everyone to get off the main roads and visit a few side streets. Every alley often has something special. Sometimes they are surprising old buildings, nice guesthouses or cafes that invite you to take a moment of rest, but also unexpected small or large temples, unexpected oases of nature in the city, etc. I always say: Chiang Mai has a soul.
Furthermore, the north has a different language / dialect and the food is also slightly different with the specific northern, Lanna cuisine.
Nature and (outdoor) activities
What always strikes me in Chiang Mai is the large number of young foreigners. This is not surprising when you know that Chiang Mai, due to its location near the mountains and unspoiled nature, is very famous for all kinds of outdoor activities such as jungle tracking, mountain hiking, zip-lining in the jungle, elephant sanctuaries, elephant riding. “not done”, rafting, road and off-road biking etc etc. Not that this is exclusively for the young gods, but it simply attracts more young people than older people. I am a fan of the mountains myself, so I also like to go out.
All this also has its downside. Where the view of the famous Mon Chaem mountain was fantastic until a few years ago, it has now become a completely out of hand situation. Someone has started a kind of campsite on a mountain top. And as the Thais often do, they see that someone is making a profit and quickly copy it and start doing it en masse. Of course in almost the same place. Very unfortunate because now little is left of the beautiful, soothing image. The local population cannot be blamed for this. The fairly poor Hmong hilltribe people live there and they would like to benefit from tourism. Apparently protecting nature is not a high priority in Thailand. Fortunately, there are still many mountains in the Chiang Mai area that are still beautiful and relatively unspoiled.
What you also see a lot in Chiang Mai are various schools for Muay Thai, Thai cooking, Thai language, Thai massage. It is therefore also a city that attracts many foreigners who want to learn these typical Thai skills.
Central Festival shopping mall in Chiang Mai
Going out and shopping
Going out in Chiang Mai really has something for everyone. It is certainly not Bangkok or Pattaya. The entertainment venues are very varied, but more small-scale. In that respect, Chiang Mai is a very pleasant, relaxed city. It should be noted that (almost) everything is closed at midnight. Chiang Mai has 5 full-fledged shopping malls and a large number of local traditional markets and the famous Night Bazaar.
Air pollution
Unfortunately, Chiang Mai has 1 very big negative point. The air pollution that is there from about the end of February to the middle of April. The nuisance is highly dependent on the weather and therefore not at exactly the same time and intensity every year.
The air pollution comes from naturally occurring forest fires due to drought, deliberate forest fires and the burning of old rice fields/plantations in the region. In recent weeks, the values were so high that even the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs has issued adjusted travel advice for the north.
Chiang Mai is fantastic for me, but not during the 1,5 to 2 months when there is a lot of air pollution.
Submitted by William
Yes good piece Chiang Mai has something I call it character
I may have been there much more often than you, since 1989. But the last time was 3 years ago and then I decided never to go again, because of the enormous upper hand that the Chinese mainland fellow man has gained, partly because of this also enormously increased prices .
Incidentally, there are many more cities in the north/Lanna that "breathe" culture and still have the old friendly welcome of the time.
Dear Endandit.
Nowadays, Chinese people can be found in abundance everywhere in Thailand. Prices are rising and I'm sure Chiang Mai is still a relatively cheap city. As for other cities with culture, I can tell you that there are few cities in the North that exude as much culture as Chiang Mai. I am thinking in particular of the city of Nan in the province of Nan. Maybe it would be nice to write something about that.
We also stay in Changmai for a month every year. We always find it wonderfully relaxed. Cycling every day and contact with the local people. Indeed, the air pollution is less fun. But we would like to come back.
beautiful piece very well written. Totally agree. Beautiful city in a beautiful area. Good one
Chiangmai is indeed a beautiful attractive city, with equally beautiful surroundings. Chiangmai also has its own character, but so do other cities. It just depends on what you like. I will never want to live in Chiangmai, because it is dynamic and expressive enough. After a certain time there is little to do other than live there. After a while you've seen everything. I prefer to live in Bangkok. Chiangmai is good for a few weeks, for example around New Year's Eve.