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Chiang Mai is a city located in northern Thailand and is considered the second largest city in the country. Chiang Mai has become quite well-known among travelers to the extent that there was a trend of living there for a month. One of the reasons why this place is so charming may be because tradition and modernity coexist harmoniously here. The “Old City,” located in the heart of the city, refers to the ancient part of Chiang Mai surrounded by city walls. Entering this area, you will find temples and old buildings. To the northwest of the Old City is Nimmanhaemin, a modern area. When traveling back and forth between Nimmanhaemin and the Old City, one may have the illusion of traveling through time, experiencing both the past and the present.

Traditions of the Prosperous Lan Na Kingdom in the Past, Including Traditional Craftsmanship

Chiang Mai became the capital of the Lan Na Kingdom in 1296 when King Meng Rai established it, succeeding Chiang Rai. As a result, Chiang Mai still retains the distinctive local color and traditions that originated from the Lan Na Kingdom, which has been passed down through generations in the northern region. In the Lan Na architecture, craftsmanship, cuisine, and clothing, you can catch a glimpse of distinct characteristics different from that of Bangkok, the capital of Thailand. In particular, Chiang Mai has a long history of developing exquisite craftsmanship, and this tradition continues to be upheld to this day.

Cherng Doi village, located a short distance away from the city center of Chiang Mai, can be found as you venture deeper into the embrace of nature. In this village, there are artisans who adhere to traditional methods, using natural materials obtained from nature to practice natural dyeing from one to ten. Long ago, their ancestors would place lac insects on trees and wait for them to produce wax, which would then be used to create “shellac” to obtain a red color. Recently, they have developed a method of obtaining black dye from a type of stone called “mokkran.” Furthermore, they have also won the Innovation Award from the Ministry of Science and Technology for their method of using banana sap to increase the longevity and preservation of their crafts. They find new technologies from tradition, and despite being slow and difficult, they are preserving their traditions by coexisting together with everyone in the village.

Chiang Mai is also famous for its umbrella handicrafts. In northern Thailand, it is a unique Buddhist culture to use Lan Na-style umbrellas during Buddhist rituals. There are many different types of umbrellas, such as the “kabuan” umbrella used in processions and umbrellas utilized as crafts or artistic creations. Umbrellas have become a symbol of identity for the Chiang Mai region, and the art of umbrella making has become a tradition for the people there. The artisans here create beautiful umbrellas using a traditional method that has been passed down for 200 years. They carve bamboo to make the umbrella frame, attach paper, and then paint pictures on top of it.

Thailand Chiang Mai and the Ethnic Minorities of Northern Thailand (Akha and Karen tribes)

Furthermore, in this area, ethnic minorities continue to live while preserving their own traditions. In the highland regions of Thailand, various ethnic minorities such as the Karen, Akha, Mien, Lahu, and Lisu reside. Among them, the Karen and Akha tribes predominantly reside in the areas of Chiang Rai and Chiang Mai. The reason they live in mountainous or highland areas is due to a belief that evil spirits living in the water can steal their souls if they live too close to water sources. The Karen tribe is known for women wearing neck rings that they do not remove throughout their lifetime. Additionally, the Akha tribe wears unique hats adorned with bead decorations on their black clothing. It is believed that if they remove their hats, it will invite the presence of evil spirits, so they do not take them off.

A group photo of the Karen ethnic group in traditional clothing from Huay Tung Tao Village, Chiang Mai, Thailand <ACC Collection - Ethnic Clothing and Culture of the Mekong River Basin Minority Groups>

12 photos capturing the process of weaving by the Karen ethnic group in Huay Tung Tao Village, Chiang Mai, Thailand <ACC Collection - Ethnic Clothing and Culture of the Mekong River Basin Minority Groups>

Photo 03: A picture of the Akha ethnic group’s headpiece in Huay Ek Kho Village, Chiang Mai, Thailand <ACC Collection - Ethnic Clothing and Culture of the Mekong River Basin Minority Groups>

A photo of the traditional Akha ethnic costume, Romi Akha, in Huay Ek Kho Village, Chiang Mai, Thailand <ACC Collection - Ethnic Clothing and Culture of the Mekong River Basin Minority Groups>

If you drive about 3 hours north from Chiang Mai to Chiang Rai, you will come across the village of Pahima, located in the highlands, where the Akha ethnic group resides. In the past, it was a major opium cultivation area, but now it is famous for its coffee plantations in Thailand. To reach this place, located in the border area with Myanmar, you need to navigate through winding roads with steep slopes and go through security checkpoints. Once you reach the highest point, you can witness the sight of local residents picking and drying coffee beans.

The sight of Akha people in Pahima village, Chiang Rai, Thailand, drying coffee beans in the highland area.

Mural Inside a Temple <Whispering of Love>

If you’re planning another excursion near Chiang Mai, I recommend visiting Nan. I visited Nan solely to see the mural <Whispering of Love>, but I also got a glimpse of the unique Lan Na food culture in northern Thailand.

<Whispering of Love> is a mural painted inside Wat Phumin temple, depicting a man with red tattoos whispering into a woman's ear. The painting evokes a lot of imagination and curiosity. Along with <Whispering of Love>, there are murals painted throughout the interior of the temple, showcasing daily life during the time the paintings were created. The panoramic mural unfolds like a panorama, offering countless stories to be read and interpreted. It is characterized by the playful expressions of the people, the erotic atmosphere, and the way multiple stories seem to unfold within a single painting, almost like a sequence of scenes.

Inside Wat Phumin in Nan, Thailand, <Whispering of Love> mural and others

“A Place to Encounter Contemporary Art MAIIAM Contemporary Art Museum”

Returning to Chiang Mai, there are plenty of places to see artwork in the city. Places such as the “CMU Art Center” within Chiang Mai University, the “Ban Kang Wat Artist Village” where young Thai artists gather, the Thailand Creative & Design Center (TCDC), and various galleries for selling artworks are scattered throughout Chiang Mai. Among them, if you want to see contemporary art in this area, you can visit the MAIIAM Contemporary Art Museum located in the Sankamphaeng area, just east of the Old City, across the Ping River.

The name “MAIIAM” is a combination of “MAI,” representing Chiang Mai as a new city, and “IAM,” which refers to “Chao Chom Iam,” the great-grandmother of the founder Eric Bunnag Booth and the spouse of King Rama V. Established in 2016, MAIIAM has been contributing to the rapid transformation of Chiang Mai’s artistic landscape.

When I visited, there was an exhibition called <Patani Semasa> taking place. “Patani” is the name of a historical region located in the northern part of the Malay Peninsula. Geographically situated in the southern region of Thailand, it is adjacent to various borders including Cambodia and Malaysia. As a result, it is a place where diverse cultures meet, collide, and blend together. The exhibition aimed to raise questions about how we perceive the traces of violence and painful memories that occur in such conflict zones, as well as the individual wounds inflicted by immense power. It encouraged us to contemplate how we view these issues and their impact. It is significant in that it implies contemporaneity by dealing with regional themes, highlighting that conflicts and violence are not unique to this place alone.

Exterior and Exhibition View of MAIIAM Contemporary Art Museum

Chiang Mai continues to uphold the traditions passed down from the Lan Na Kingdom while also constantly striving to find new possibilities through innovative experimentation. In its approach to cultural heritage and the arts, Chiang Mai both respects traditional craftsmanship and seeks new transitions and expansions in contemporary art and visual perspectives. I recommend experiencing Chiang Mai, a city where the past and the present coexist, by enjoying cultural arts along with nature for a little while.