Chiang Rai [เมืองเชียงราย]

Traditional music players at the Night Bazaar

Mueang Chiang Rai is the northernmost city of Thailand. With 70,000 inhabitants, it is on the southern bank of the Mekong River, close to the area known as the Golden Triangle, where the two neighboring countries of Myanmar (Burma) & Laos meet with Thailand. Chiang is an old Lanna word meaning 'town', whereas Chiang Mai is the 'New City' [mai means 'new']. But in the Thai language, Mueang is the word used for a town or a city of importance.

TG flight from BKK to CEI

The city lies by the Kok River [Mae Kok] that flows into the mighty Mekong River, the "mother of all waters" as it is called in Laos.

Wat Ngam Muang

Chiang Rai is an old medieval city. It was founded c. AD1262 by King Mangrai [มังราย] (1239-1311). It became the capital of the Lanna Kingdom before Chiang Mai (in 1786). As it is often the case a myth and a legend support the foundation of a historical place. First, as King Mengrai was searching for his favorite elephant, he came across this site from the top of a hill above the River Kok and decided to choose it as its capital. So today, the city pillar stands on the top of the same hill. It is known as the 'navel of the city', an interesting symbol referring to the Greek 'omphalos' [ὀμφαλός]. It is not simply a religious belief. It is also a symbol of power, where the uterus is Mother Earth with the representation of a phallus. As a matter of fact, the city navel is set on the hilltop with a circle of phalluses. The nearby stupa [chedi, in Thai] of Wat Ngam Muang is said to shelter the ashes of King Mengrai.

'City Navel'

Hill history of the temple

The ancient Kingdom of Lanna was only integrated to the Kingdom of Siam in 1899.

Some of Chiang Rai main landmarks

Most of the religious monuments in Chiang Rai are either characteristic of the Lanna culture or influenced by the neighboring Burmese art. There are a few Chinese temples as well as some colonial style buildings.

Viharn of Wat Phra Kaew

 Wat Phra Kaew [วัดพระแก้ว] is an old and beautiful temple dating back

Temple garden orchids

to the 14th century. This is the place where the well-known Emerald Buddha was accidentally discovered in 1434 after the lightning struck the chedi where the Buddha image had been hidden. At the time, people thought it was made of emerald, but in fact, it is made of jade. After a long peregrination the 'Emerald Buddha' is now at the Grand Palace in Bangkok. There is now a copy of the Emerald Buddha there made out of Canadian jade. Wat Phra Kaew is enclosed in a beautiful garden with some rare plants and flowers all carefully labeled. The viharn (Assembly Hall) is a typical Lanna structure guarded by two Nagas. The golden chedi is standing behind near the ubosot (Ordination Hall), whose murals were made in the 19th c. There is also a museum that is worth seeing (free entrance). 

Main viharn Buddha statue

A brief story of the Jade Buddha

Jade Buddha at the museum

Garden oratory

Wat Phra Singh [วัดพระสิงห์] is another old temple dating from 1385. The Lanna-style viharn is

At Wat Phra Singh

guarded by two Singhas (gold & while lions) and it contains a footprint of th Buddha.

White guardian Naga

Roof angel

Across the side street, there is a vast square with an imposing colonial building and also an open hall sheltering two royal palenquins. The Chiang Rai Culture Gallery is nearby too.

Colonial building next to Wat Phra Singh

Royal palenquin

Not far from Wat Phra Kaew and Wat Phra Singh, there is also an old Lanna temple called Wat Ming Muang. Downtown, there is another interesting temple called Wat Jed Yod (19th c.). 

Wat Jed Yod

Wat Ming Muang

Other places of interest

The Golden Clocktower

Another famous landmark in Chiang Rai is the Chiang Rais Golden Clocktower . It was built in 2008 by a famous local artist called Chalermchai Khositpipat, who is the same man who built the White Temple outside the city of Chiang Rai. Between here and Wat Phra Singh, there is a wet market that has spread into th nearest streets.

Chiang Rai's commercial main street is Paholyotin Road. At one corner

Cat 'n' A Cup coffeeshop

there, near the Bus Station Terminal, there is an unusual coffeeshop Cat 'n' A Cup where dozens of cats run the scene among the sitting customers. At night, the nearby Night Bazaar has become the major city attraction in the evening.

At the Chiang Rai Night Bazaar

Besides all its local interest, Chiang Rai is also a major point to explore other nearby attractions such as the 'White Temple' (south of the city) or the 'Black House' (north). It is also a good starting point to go to the Golden Triangle and the valley of the Mekong River, as well as to explore some of the hill tribes in the northern mountain range or visit the Doi Tung Royal Villa and Garden about an hour's drive away from town.

Roof crest at Wat Ming Muang