Chiang Mai Travel Guide, Thailand

Chiang Mai Travel Guide: General Information

Chiang Mai is an old capital city in Thailand. It is known to be one of the most beautiful cities of the country with its breathtaking scenery in the form of mountains and hills, lakes and streams, waterfalls and fields. The city offers stunning natural attractions and the secrets of the mountains and valleys are just waiting to be explored. Even shopping is turned into a fun experience when it comes to Chiang Mai travel, making it all the more popular with tourists all year round.

Chiang Mai Travel Guide: Architectural Heritage

Chiang Mai travel is especially ideal for people who like a taste of history. The city is extremely rich with beautiful temples, which the Thai people call wats. Wat Phuak Hong is one great example, wherein the Chedi Si Pheuak is held. The architecture of stacked spheres can only be found at Wat Phuak Hong and Wat Ku Tao. This type of architecture is believed to be a hundred years old and was influenced by China’s district of Yunnan.

Wat Chiang Man is another temple that can be found during your Chiang Mai travel. Here, you can find a stone slab that was erected at Wat Chiang Man, which serves as the first reference known to Thais on the city’s founding in 1296. Wat Chiang Man is the oldest temple in the city, constructed by Phaya Mengrai. Its architecture features that of classic northern Thailand with its huge teak columns inside the sanctuary. Chiang Mai’s architectural heritage cannot only be found within its temples, though; it is pretty much visible all over the city within its streets and buildings. Chiang Mai travel would definitely not be complete without exploring the entire city and what it has to offer.

Chiang Mai Travel Guide: Infrastructure and Economy

Chiang Mai is completely reliable when it comes to water, telephone lines and electricity. In fact, the only places where electricity is not prevalent would be within the smaller villages in the jungles, national parks and forest conservation areas. Tourism has always been a great means for economy in Chiang Mai and has been revitalized as of late with festivals, such as the Chiang Mai Flower Festival.

Chiang Mai Travel Guide: People and Culture

Chiang Mai gives you the chance to find out what Thai culture is truly like through the various peoples within each valley. The people who live in Chiang Mai are called khon muang, meaning they are all of mixed origins, from Chinese to Muslims. Various religions are also followed, of which Buddhism is the primary religion, followed by Christianity and Islam.

Chiang Mai is completely different from any other province in Thailand, like Nan and Udon, most of all when it comes to culture. Located in a very mountainous area and covered in dense provincial forests, Chiang Mai has always had trouble with overland communications. Because of this, the people of Chiang Mai have grown and developed their very own beliefs and customs. In fact, they also have their own dialect, cuisine and architectural traditions, which the rest of the Thai provinces do not have.

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