The city is home to over 300 temples dating as far back as the 13th century. Within half an hour's drive in every direction there are also museums, ancient ruins, national parks, waterfalls, mountain trails, and other unique and beautiful attractions. It is almost impossible to tire of its multitude of eclectic delights as Chiang Mai offers something for everyone from nature lovers, culture vultures, adrenalin junkies to those who just wish to lie back in a luxurious spa and be pampered
Festivals & traditions
The Chiang Mai Flower Festival (February)
The city’s location allows Chiang Mai to enjoy a large variety of floral species. Besides having a tropical climate suitable for raising of such flowers as orchids, its high-altitude areas and cool winters allow it to be home to cold weather flowers such as carnations. Through the years, as Chiang Mai became more widely known for its magnificent array of floral beauty, it eventually gained the title of ‘The Rose of the North’. Though much of Chiang Mai’s diverse floral beauty can be witnessed in nature, nowhere is it more impressively accentuated than at the Chiang Mai Flower Festival.
Once a year the streets of Chiang Mai in the Flower Festival commences.
Towards the end of the cool season, in early February, Chiang Mai is looking its best. Everywhere there is a riot of colour as temperate flowers such as asters, salvias and marigolds come into full bloom to join the tropical orchids and bougainvilleas.
This is the time when the glorious Flower Festival takes place. Some fifty villages as well as other private and government organisations compete to create the most spectacular floral floats. These are covered overall with flower heads in intricate designs and made in the shape of dragons, castles, mountains and so on. Atop each float sits a beautiful girl dressed in sumptuous northern Thai costume. If you come at the time of the festival do not forget your camera there are many great shots to be taken.
The procession wends its way slowly through the streets of the city, which are lined with throngs of people cheering their favourite competitor. When the procession finally reaches Suan Buak Had Park, the flowers and the girls by now somewhat limp from the heat, the winners are announced.
At the Park there are competitions for various categories of flowers, fruit and vegetables, for flower arrangements and miniature gardens as well as hundreds of stalls selling everything you can imagine. You will be able to have fun browsing the festival’s array of food and drink stalls and also buying some inexpensive knick-knacks to take home. This is a great time to experience something that Thai people do best, which is to hold events and enjoy them with friends and family. The festival is very popular and hotels are generally rather full so be warned to book in advance.
Songkran Festival (April)
Songkran is a Thai traditional New Year which starts on April 13 every year and lasts for 3 days. Songkran festival on April 13 is Maha Songkran Day or the day to mark the end of the old year, April 14 is Wan Nao which is the day after and April 15 is Wan Thaloeng Sok which the New Year begins.
Songkran means “movement” or “changing” since according to Thai astrology, the sun will move into a new sign of the Zodiac on this day. Songkran is also called the “Water Festival”. Water is believed to flow and wash away all bad omens during this time. Thus, it is a time for cleaning; houses, villages, temples and spirit houses.
In the Thai tradition, the New Year begins early in the morning when faithful Thai Buddhists give alms to Buddhist monks. After that, they release caged animals, especially birds and fish. Elders and parents will be visited and respected by their children and grandchildren. The young pour scented water over their elder’s hands, they in return, wish them good health, happiness and prosperity. This tradition of paying respect, is called “Rod Nam Dam Hua”. April 14 is called “Family Day”.
In the afternoon, Thai Buddhists sprinkle scented water on Buddha images. After that, they sprinkle perfumed water on, or throw clean, cold water over each other. Songkran is observed with excitement in the North, especially in the northern province of Chiang Mai. A lot of people from around the country will head up north to participate in the festivals organised there. A Miss Songkran Pageant will be held and a long and beautiful parade will be organised.
Inthakin Ceremony (May or June)
Many towns and cities in Thailand house what is known as the ‘city pillar’ which is made of wood or stone and is often located at the geographical heart of the city. Traditionally, these pillars were created when a new settlement was established. Different regions of Thailand have different names for these pillars, but in the old northern Thai language, the pillars were called ‘inthakin’. Some historians believe the pillars represent a phallus and were created to encourage the fertility of the land which would have been crucial to an agricultural society. These ancient animist beliefs pre-date the arrival of Buddhism in Thailand, but even as Buddhism spread the old traditional beliefs still remained, just as they do in so many aspects of Thai society today.
The annual rites connected with the sao inthakhin or pillar of Chiang Mai City, begin on the 13th day of the waning moon in the eighth Northern lunar moon and continue until the second day of the waxing moon of the ninth month (It is difficult to find anyone who can tell you the exact dates but it is usually sometime in June). What is this famous Chiang Mai ceremony all about and what are its origins?
nthakin Festival is an annual event to worship the city pillar, the Inthakin Pillar, located in Wat Chedi Luang. The pillar is a Buddhist symbol of harmony blessing the people of Chiang Mai. The ceremony involves propitiating spirits who protect the city, maintaining peace and also ensuring enough rain will fall for the upcoming season.
Pu Sae - Ya Sae Ceremony (June)
Pu Sae Ya Sae is a ceremony of Lanna people that will be held in June every year at Wat Phra That Doi Come, Mae Hia, Chiang Mai. A buffalo is killed in a ritual to sacrifice to the ancestors and the medium will be summoned. Pu Sae Ya Sae ceremony is held in purpose to have a seasonal rainfall and rich in food and rice because the area used for this ritual was originally used as farmland. Since the environment has changed, this ceremony is held every year on the belief that it would help to protect people from the plague and bring harmony to the community.
Pu Sae Ya Sae is not the ritual that inherited only the local people but it is a Lanna ceremony that general people can participate and acknowledge the existance of faith in Pu Sae Ya Sae s soul that help protecting the area and keep a paceful to villagers in Mae Hia.Although Pu Sae Ya Sae is great ceremony of Lanna but this ritual is considered as blind belief and horrible by general people and foreigners. Also, the torture of animals contrary to morality. While there are many people believe in this ritual because there is a Buddhist prayer related to giant.However, people who perform this ritual believed that buffalo is the animal in association with people. Therefore, it can be considered as representative of the people and the supernatural to solve conflicts. Various parts of buffalo can be compared with parts of society that must bring together to meet perfection. After the ceremony, villagers will eat sacrificed buffalo meat together. In addition, they will name their unborn baby after the name of baffalo in return.
Loy Krathong (October or November)
One of Thailand’s most colorful festivals; celebrated every year on the night of the full moon in November. A krathong is a floral float usually the size of a dinner plate. By floating a krathong, supposedly filled with all one’s bad luck accumulated during the past year, down a klong, river, or any waterway, Thais believe that the bad luck will float away and good fortune will fill the coming year.
With cooler weather, the rivers brimming with fresh water at the end of the rainy season, and the harvesting of rice about to begin, northern Thailand celebrates the Loy Krathong Festival especially enthusiastically. In Chiang Rai, even days before the festival begins, fire crackers can be heard everywhere. That evening, a festive parade of giant krathongs is held down the main thoroughfare with spectators lining both sides of the street. Many communities compete for the best-designed float, and for their prettiest girl to be chosen as Miss Krathong.Among the most popular waterways in Chiang Rai, one favorite spot is Chiang Rai Beach located by the Kok River that flows into the Mekong River, but all riverside hotels and resorts organize special Loy Krathong dinner parties for guests to float their krathongs. The climax of the celebration is the lighting of a different kind of float—the hot-air lanterns called “Krong Fai” that float up through the night sky by the thousands.
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