History

Recent History

In recent years the city has adopted a series of conservation measures designed to preserve its cultural heritage in the face of development pressures. One such measure prevents high-rise construction within 93m (305ft) of a temple or city walls/moats - thereby protecting about 87% of municipal land. Though mostly effective, corruption prevents full implementation - in 2001 a huge multistorey hotel opened within illegal proximity of both the city moat and a nearby historic temple. With Thaksin Shinawatra's election as prime minister in 2001, the city has become the focus of a development drive. Since Thaksin took office, air passenger arrivals have more than doubled and five-star hotel projects abound. Hailing from Chiang Mai himself, Thaksin no doubt has vested interests in the area's prosperity.

Modern Day History

Chiang Mai became linked with central Thailand with the completion of the northern railway in 1921. Word soon spread that Chiang Mai, previously very difficult to reach from the more heavily populated south, was a quaint hidden treasure and a perfect destination for shopping and entertainment. Tourism quickly replaced commercial trade as Chiang Mai's primary source of outside revenue. A close second was the tourist-focused manufacture and sale of local handicrafts. Long before the tourists began flocking to the northern capital, Chiang Mai was an important centre for handcrafted pottery, weaving, umbrellas, silverwork and woodcarving. If you visit arts and craft shops anywhere in Thailand today, chances are there will be someone working there who hails from Chiang Mai.

Pre 20th Century History

Thai King Mengrai took over a Mon settlement to develop Nopburi Si Nakhon Ping Chiang Mai (shortened to Chiang Mai - 'New Walled City') in 1296. Mengrai, reportedly a prince from Nam Chao, a Thai kingdom in southwest China, had already conquered the area that is now Lamphun, southwest of Chiang Mai. Immediately after his arrival he built the city walls that visitors can still see remnants of along Thanon Kamphaeng Din.

Later, in the 14th and 15th centuries, Chiang Mai became an important spiritual and cultural centre for the larger kingdom of Lan Na Thai ('million Thai rice fields'), which extended from Kamphaeng Phet - about 300km (186mi) to the south - as far north as Luang Prabang in modern Laos. The eighth world synod of Theravada Buddhism was held in Chiang Mai in 1477.

In 1556 the Burmese captured Chiang Mai for the second time in 500 years. Earlier, before the arrival of King Mengrai, King Anuruddha of Pagan (modern-day Bagan) ruled the area around Chiang Mai in the 11th century. The second period of Burmese control was more successful - they ruled the now-thriving town for over 200 years.

In 1775 Thai King Taksin moved in from the south to again wrest control of Chiang Mai away from the Burmese. Taksin appointed Chao Kavila, a jâo meuang (lord) from nearby Lampang, as viceroy of Northern Thailand. It was in this period that the city established itself as Thailand's northern capital, second only to Bangkok in national importance. In 1800 Kavila built the monumental brick walls around the inner city, and expanded the outer city in southerly and easterly directions, allowing for future development, and establishing a river port at the end of what is today Th Tha Phae (thâa phae means 'raft pier'). Under the leadership of Kavila - and with greater river access - Chiang Mai became an important regional trade centre. Many people migrated to the area, including the wealthy teak merchants from Burma, who are responsible for many of the Shan and Burmese-style temples built throughout the 19th century.