 The Walled City of Chiang Mai
 The old city of Chiang Mai is still surrounded today by remains of an old city wall and a moat.
On Thursday, 12th April 1296, King Mengrai founded Chiang Mai, which means new city, to be the capital of his recently consolidated Kingdom of Lanna. The city was very carefully designed to observe all the correct astrological laws. Within the city walls the King built his palace, several temples and accommodation for his followers. None of the original buildings remain although Wat Chiang Man is said to be where King Mengrai stayed while he was building his city.
The moat is original but the brick walls were built early in the nineteenth century and the bastions and gateways have been heavily restored in very recent times. There are four gates at the cardinal points of the compass and one other gate reserved exclusively for removal of the dead.
There are over thirty temples within the moat, many with extensive and beautiful grounds. Few of the buildings are more than a hundred years old but there are some very fine examples of Lanna art. Visitors are welcome to wander freely in the temple grounds and to enter almost all the buildings, often the saffron robed monks will be only too happy to practice their English and answer your questions.
The main attraction of the old walled city, however, is the atmosphere it exudes of quiet and timeless serenity. As you stroll through the narrow streets you feel the heart of the people. Look into the little dark shops - girls sewing, men repairing bicycles or watches, old people smoking and children playing. Stop at one of the hundreds of food stalls and taste the noodles of the day or linger over a cool fruit juice. Chiang Mai is a city to savour.
Wiang Kum Kam, the Underground Ancient City 
In 1984, just outside the modern Chiang Mai metropolitan area, archaeologists uncovered the remains of an ancient city. Research concluded that this was the city of Wiang Kum Kam, one of many fortified cities built by King Mengrai as he consolidated his hold on the north. In fact, it appears that Mengrai may have lived at Wiang Kum Kam for a few years before Chiang Mai was founded in 1297 a.d.
 Nearly 20 temple sites have been uncovered in the area, which lies between the Ping river and the Lamphun highway. The buildings were buried underground by years of flooding, which apparently is the reason Mengrai eventually moved his capital to Chiang Mai. In fact, the Ping river originally flowed along the north side of the town, but at some point during the Burmese occupation from the sixteenth to eighteenth centuries, the river changed course and now flows along the west side of the site. The change of course was apparently the final straw which caused the city to be largely abandoned for 300 years. The site is too large to cover on foot. The best way to see it is to start at the still working temple of Wat Chedi Liam, and tour the site by bicycle, tram or pony carriage. The nine main sites taken in on a typical tour are not greatly interesting compared to many of Thailand's ancient sites. What does make the trip worthwhile is the gentle pace and scenery of the countryside viewed from the back of a carriage or on a bicycle.
Although most of the sites are not much more than platforms and ruined chedis, there are two working temples in the area that date from the city's heyday at the end of the thirteenth century. One is your logical starting point, Wat Chedi Liam. The other, more vibrant temple is Wat Khan Tom (also known as Wat Chang Kum), where in fact the spirit of King Mengrai is said to still reside.
Wiang Kum Kam is situated in Tha Wang Tan, Sarapee District, outside Chiang Mai city about the 3-4 km on Chiang Mai - Lamphun Rd.
Open everyday 08.00-17.00
For more information: 053-321523 / 053-283981
Wiang Tha Karn
An ancient walled city that dates back to the Hariphunchai period, it was built before the advent of King Mengrai, the first of the Lanna Kings. The main historic site is near the centre of modern day Baan Tha Karn, close to the school and the village temple, Wat Tha Karn. The best preserved of the ruins are the pagoda and the foundations of the viharn, constructed from bricks and laterite. Historical objects found in the area include Buddha images made from sandstone or ceramics and some engraved images. Fragments of ancient bricks and ceramic tiles can still be found within the precincts of the old city. Baan Tha Karn is about 34 kilometres to the south of Chiang Mai. Follow the Chiang Mai - Hod road until you reach Baan Tung Siew in Sanpatong District. Turn left at this village and Baan Tha Karn is some two kilometres from the intersection.
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