Chiang Mai city tour
The 36th Annual Chiang Mai Flower Festival takes place on the 3th to the 6th February 2011. Always a most colourful event, the Chiang Mai Flower Festival brings thousands of visitors to the city to enjoy the natural beauty of flowers. For many people, the highlight of the entire festival is the Floral Parade with many floats bedecked with flowers accompanied by dancers in traditional costumes and Hill Tribes in their amazing colourful outfits.
Whilst the festival opens on the 4th February, the official opening ceremony of the Chiang Mai Flower Festival will be held at Nawarat Bridge early on the morning of the 5th and from there the floral parade will move slowly towards Suan Buak Haad where the main floral displays and competitions are held. Another highlight of the festival is a display of quite another kind of natural beauty, the Flower Festival Beauty Pageant where some of the prettiest Thai ladies will compete for the honour of becoming the Floral Queen.
Arak Road is lined with stalls selling beautiful orchids and other flowers, garden ornaments, handicrafts and of course food, lots and lots of it. The floral part of the festival is as colourful as ever with many prize winning orchids on display at Suan Buak Haad, along with a huge variety of Bonsai and Cactii and a wide range of other fantastic blooms, some of which will be available for sale at the end of the festival. The Chiang Mai Flower festival is one of the most attractive of all Chiang Mai Festivals and, with its street carnival atmosphere, makes for a delightful day (or 3) out for all the family.
(off Ratchapakhinai Road in the northeast corner of the old city)
This is the oldest temple in Chiang Mai town which was built in 1296 by King Mengrai, the founder of Chiang Mai. The temple is famous for its Lanna-style chedi supported by rows of elephant-shaped buttresses and an ancient and invaluable Buddha image named Phra Kaeo Khao.
When in Chiang Mai, the city of old culture and sweet-mannered people, the sites where you can linger all day to admire the city's magical charm are temples dotting the city in abundance. Apart from Wat Phra Sing which is a well-known beautiful Buddhist temple where Phra Phuttha Sihing, a most revered Buddha image of the north is enshrined, Wat Lok Moli appears to be another interesting and visit-worthy temple.
This lovely temple, built in 1345, houses the North's most revered Buddha statue, Phra Phuttha Sihing. Every year on April 13, Songkran Day, the image is paraded on Chiang Mai streets for local people to sprinkle scented water at.
Built in 1296 by King Mengrai, it is situated in a rustic forest setting. This famous meditation temple is unique in its large tunnel-like construction.
This old temple is noteworthy for its unique Burmese-style chedi (pagoda) that consists of a series of circular layers piling one above the other and decorated with coloured porcelain pieces. As this round layered pagoda resembles a water gourd, the temple is called Wat Ku Tao, which means "Temple with the Water Gourd Chedi".
This temple was built by command of King Kuena of Lanna Thai Kingdom in 1371.The 500-year-old bronze Buddha image, enshrined in the temple, is one of the most beautiful and largest metal images of the Buddha in Thailand. The temple ground is also a favourite spot for photographers, especially for scenes of the striking sunset.
This 14th century temple, where the City Pillar Shrine is located, is famous for its enormous chedi (pagoda) measuring 282 feet high and 144 feet wide at the base. Its spire collapsed in 1545 because of an earthquake. A pair of magnificent Naga staircases at the front porch of the chapel is among the most beautiful in the North.
(5 km. southeast of the city on Chiang Mai - Lamphun Route)
The ancient town of Wiang Kum Kam, founded by King Mengrai in the late 13th century, flourished more than seven centuries ago. Then it was devastated by flood and vanished without a trace.
The entire community was buried under layers of earth and remained interred for several hundred years until the site was excavated. The main historical remains are found in several temples located in the compound, e.g. Wat Chedi Liam, Wat Chang Kham and Wat Noi.
This popular place is an extensive night market spreading out along Chang Khlan Road. It consists of a great number of shops and street vendors, many of whom are hilltribes. The market offers a large variety of Thai and northern Thai goods, especially handicrafts and souvenirs, at attractive prices. This is a must for shopping-oriented visitors and bargain lovers.
For those whose time is limited but who still want to discover the true identity of Chiang Mai, Chiang Mai City Arts and Cultural Centre is recommended. Established in 1997, the Centre is well located in a beautiful historical building constructed in 1924. The front part of the building is used for permanent exhibits and the rear is dedicated to other cultural activities and temporary exhibitions. Permanent Exhibits comprise 15 sections, which are divided by periods and topics.
Warorot Market
Warorot market, locally called Kad Luang, is Chiang Mai's first shopping centre in Chinatown and a place to see real Chiang Mai. The most famous souvenir here is northern style food. Kaeb mu (crispy pig skin), mu yo (traditional Thai pork sausage), and nam phrik num (traditional northern style green chilly paste). Beyond the market on Praisani Road are dozens of stalls where hilltribe people sell various kinds of tribal handicrafts and tropical fresh fruits and flowers from the highland farms.
Wualai Walking Street (Saturday Market)
The Wualai community has been so far known for its fine silver and lacquer wares. On Saturday evenings, the Wualai Street is closed to traffic making it an open-air showcase for the area's famous handicrafts. It is therefore called Saturday Market. Don't miss a chance to shop for authentic northern silver and lacquer wares as well as other unique handicrafts at the venue. You are recommended to go there from around 4 p.m. on, when the weather is cooling down and most vendors have already set up shops. The market runs to 10 p.m.
Tha Pae Walking Street (Sunday Market)
Tha Pae Walking Street runs on Sundays at Tha Phae Gate and along Ratchadamnoen Road. It hence, in the same way as Wualai Walking Street is called Saturday Market, is known as Sunday Market. The Sunday Market features shopping at reasonable prices for various kinds of goods, ranging from local handicraft products to portrait paintings. Besides, local food and music are also key attractions to both locals and tourists. Expect to find activities of all kinds alongside special theme events for young and old alike. This pedestrian market starts around 4 p.m. and runs to 10 p.m.
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