Joanna James
The Old City of Chiang Mai attracts numerous visitors each year due to its various attractions. Amongst these are a number of must-visit places including sightseeing and cultural highlights that will capture the imagination.
This institution which may be considered to be northern Thailand's foremost museum is always an interesting place to visit. Culture and history lovers will be in their element at the Chiang Mai National Museum which offers an array of engrossing exhibits for the visitor. You will find that there are six principal sections of displays which take the visitor on a journey through time from the prehistory of Chiang Mai to its current status and its projected future. This museum explores the local region's cultural and natural background, including its geography and ecology, before progressing to the culture of the Lanna kingdom and its relevance today.
Your tour of the attractions of Chiang Mai would not be complete without visiting Wat Chedi Luang. This striking temple which was initially constructed many centuries ago still presents a prominent sight in the skyline of Chiang Mai. Wat Chedi Luang boasts a huge chedi or pagoda that in its heyday measured no less than 60 m wide at its base as well as 80 m in height. This temple has been extensively rebuilt in the year 1990 and now you will see that the structures and grounds of the temple are very picturesque and attractive. The most appealing time at which to visit this temple would be in May, at which time a festival is conducted here.
The distinctive Wat Bupparam is another renowned religious attraction in Chiang Mai Old City. This place of worship which was founded by a local monarch in the 15th century may be considered to be a typical Lanna type temple. You will see that the second storey of this striking pagoda is elaborately decorated and boasts a number of features of interest, including a couple of large Buddha statues in the seated position. One of these images which has been made of solid teakwood was crafted following a vision experienced by the monarch Naresuan; the details of this vision have been depicted on a number of carved wooden panels at this temple.
This well-reputed centre may be regarded as a contemporary museum featuring multimedia technology as well as a hub for cultural education. At this museum, you will encounter displays featuring a number of different media such as scaled models, video, enlarged photographs and wall murals as well as text in English in addition to Thai. The building in which this institution is housed is something of an attraction in itself and is regarded as a splendid specimen of Thai post-colonial architecture. An accommodation choice to consider from which this cultural attraction would be within easy reach would be Anantara Chiang Mai Resort which may be considered to be a conveniently located Chiang Mai resort.
This attractive temple will undoubtedly appeal to the discerning sightseer with its various features of interest. In fact, Wat Phan Tao is located adjoining Wat Chedi Luang and it is possible to walk from one to the other. A highlight at Wat Phan Tao is its striking viharn, which also has the distinction of being amongst the few all-wooden buildings still remaining in Chiang Mai. Interestingly this building at one time functioned as the palace of a local ruler, the monarch Chao Mahawong. Today this structure functions as a monastery and will capture the interest of the discerning visitor.
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