My steemit friends! Recently I got to experience the joy of living in Chiang Mai for three weeks. I truly mean it is a joy. Great food, great culture, great people, and it's all incredibly affordable! Did I mention great history? This city is over 700 years old! First established 1296 as the Capital of the Lanna Kingdom, translated to Kingdom of a Million Rice Fields!
Today there still is a moat and parts of the original wall going around the old town of the city. It's a several kilometer protective perimeter in a perfect square. The battles that have taken place here must have been unreal. The city had to defend it's for hundreds of years from Chinese invaders from the north, Burmese to the west, Cambodians to the South East, and Siamese to the South.
Having rich fertile land and being a main trading town all of the Lanna Kingdoms neighbors wanted to take this gem of a city for themselves; and they all tried to. Finally in 1557 the Burmese conquered Chiang Mai and incorporated it into their kingdom as a vessel state, and it stayed that way for over 200 years until the Siamese assisted the people in reclaiming their independence driving out the Burmese in 1774.
Eventually Chiang Mai became part of the Siam Kingdom in 1892, and in 1932 the whole of the Chiang Mai Area was incorporated into Siam. In 1949 Siam became officialy known as the country of Thailand, and it's borders have changed very little since then. If you have ever heard of the Broadway play the "King and I" about the King of Siam; that's Thailand!
One thing has remained the same over all those years; that being the Buddhist religion. To this day Chiang Mai is one of the more religious cities in the country having more Buddhist temples per square kilometer than any other city in the land. While taking a walk through old town, you will see temples dotted all over the place.
With Buddhist culture and religion being such a central part of life here; Chiang Mai is one of the more conservative cities in the country. Bars close at two AM where in other cities they often stay open all night. Prostitution is still legal, but they keep it to one street away from the temples and the city center. You don't see many lady boys either. Things in general are pretty low key for a country well known for it's wild atmosphere; recently popularized by movies such as "The Hangover Two".
All in all Chiang Mai is one of my favorite cities in the world. It's laid back, rich in history and culture, incredibly affordable, and if you're ever feeling stressed out just go for a walk. Sit down in a Buddhist temple and take in the peaceful surrounding it offers. Now let's have a look at some of these amazing temples in Chiang Mai!
Not To be Missed!
Real Life Captured #39: New Year's Eve in Guayaquil Ecuador! Part One (15 photos)
Travel Pro Gear #2: Five Travel Pro Items You Need to be Travel Pro! Part One
Real Life Captured #37: Santa Clara Market Quito Ecuador! Part Two (10 photos)
Real Life Captured #38: Krabi Town Thailand! Part Six (15 photos)
Travel Pro Art #6: Murals of Tonsai Beach Part Four (16 photos)
With over 11 years of travel experience I answer travel and international lifestyle questions. Leave a question in the comments and I may make a Steemit post just for you!
