The Jewel in Chiang Mai's crown

A recent visit to Chiang Mai's newest district, named in memory of the late Princess Galyani Vadhana, proved very worthwhile. Galyani Vadhana district is the 25th to be established in Chiang Mai province, and the 878th in the country. It was named after His Majesty the King's sister.

Chiang Mai's newest district has a great deal to offer visitors and residents, especially those who want to immerse themselves in the sights and sounds of nature.

The Tourism Authority of Thailand's Chiang Mai office director Chalermsak Suranan explains that the agency has organised excursions to the newest district to promote it as a tourist destination. Galyani Vadhana district has a pleasant climate, interesting landscape, abundant wildlife and, being only 164km from Muang Chiang Mai through Mae Hong Son's Pai district, it is an ideal destination for those visiting Pai, just 64km away.

Not far from Galyani Vadhana district, Suan Doi Kaew farm is a chemical-free strawberry farm approved by the Royal Foundation Project, in Bo Kaew sub-district, Samoeng district. This strawberry farm, owned and operated by Wittaya Narata, the president of Bo Kaew Agriculturists' Association, with support from the Bank for Agriculture and Agricultural Cooperatives, occupies 2,500 rai (400 hectares) of land, and is one of the country's largest strawberry producers. Visitors can take a tour around the fields and eat freshly picked strawberries (in season). It is also being developed as an agro-tourism destination. Resort chalets are being built and campsites are already available, welcoming Thais and foreigners who'd like to spend their days in a cool climate and beautifully clean environment.

In Galyani Vadhana district, Pornchai Pianpla, social development officer of Wat Chan Royal Project Foundation and Development Centre, explained that the centre helps locals increase their agricultural knowledge and other occupational skills. The centre was started by the King in 1979 to help improve the living conditions of hilltribe people in Wat Chan and nearby villages.

The centre has arable and livestock farms, an exhibition of hilltribe culture, souvenirs for sale, a cafeteria, and rooms and tents for visitors to spend the night in the forest.

Other attractions and activities include the pine forests with wild orchids; bird watching; cool weather fog watching at the border between Chiang Mai province and Mae Hong Son, the Huay Horm waterfall, from which the Mae Chaem and Pai rivers flow; Huay Reservoir, and Wat Chan, which dates back to the Lawa era, one of Chiang Mai valley's earliest periods.

Spending a cool night at the peaceful Musikee Eco Lodge, set in the middle of a forest and with food for visitors from its own farms, followed a warm welcome by the staff and members of the Pakayor, a hilltribe native to the district. Musikee is the name of the Mae Chaem River in the Pakayor language, and it reflects the way of life of this hilltribe. Hiking to the junction of the Chaem Noi and Chaem Luang rivers is a popular activity for visitors. The nearby forest offers a large variety of plant life and the local hilltribe villages offer a glimpse into their native culture and arts. You can often hear locals playing the tae na, a Pakayor instrument similar to the harp, and singing traditional songs. There is often a show with the traditional welcoming sword dance.

Finally there is the Ban Wat Chan Royal Project, which with the Forest Industry Organisation of Thailand, is in charge of preserving and restoring the forests in the area and promoting farming among the locals. It's set in the country's largest pine and dry dipterocarp forest, 960m above sea level, and is being developed as an eco-tourism destination for people who love adventure and cool weather. Camping, hiking and bike riding are among the many activities on offer at this verdant destination, which can accommodate up to 500 people.

A new district office is being built to replace the temporary office, and the completion of a new road to the district _ which will make travelling here much easier _ is expected within two years.

 

Article and picture source : www.bangkokpost.com

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Kamphaeng Phet Sart Thai Tradition and Banana Festival

Eat your hearts out FarmVille fans, this is the real deal, full bunches of bananas with real rosettes at a real farmers’ market, and a real one-crop festival.

Thailand’s Kamphaeng Phet Province holds their Sart Thai Buddhist Tradition and Banana Festival in September each year.

In 2009 it was during the second week of the month, and in 2010, it all revolves around the 23rd of the month and the full moon (Sart Thai is a Buddhist celebration that follows the full moon).

The Kluai Khai Fair is held to promote the species of banana for which the province is famous.

Over 200 million Baht value of bananas per year are exported from just this one province – roughly 4 million Pounds Sterling – which doesn’t sound a lot until you realise the local produce-market price for one of those full-length bunches is only 200 Baht … meaning roughly one million bunches are in the annual export figures.  Each tree crops once a year, so you can imagine how intensively they’re planted and farmed.

Bananas are one of the world’s most important food crops. Aside from the common export banana (the Cavendish), there are about 1000 other varieties of bananas. Some bananas are blue, others are orange or red, some are round, and a few are as big as your arm. In the tropics, bananas aren’t only eaten fresh, they’re barbecued, they’re deep-fried, they’re sun-dried, their flowers are used in salads – instead of lettuce, they’re even made into beer and wine.

The local banana dessert, krayasart is a wonderful, sweet, sticky, granola-like concoction made with peanuts, sesame seeds, rice, etc.  For some reason this is mostly made during the banana festival, which has competitions for the best krayasart there.

Thai bananas are far more tasty than those of most other countries, and you wouldn’t believe how many varieties there are, which is just as well, because the festival includes a banana-eating competition (race?).  I can’t envision it as being a particularly captivating spectator sport … unless they have a women’s competition too

Aside from the eating and producer competitions, there are the cookery competitions for  making of krayasat, as well as many entertainment performances provided by both traditional and modern performing arts.  Of course, being Thailand, no festival is complete without a beauty competition and pageant.  Kampaeng Phet is no exception and hosts the Miss Banana Queen pageant during the festival.

Being a rural province, the festival also brings to town a wealth of handicrafts and cottage industry products for exhibition and sales at OTOP markets, set up just for the festival.  It’s said that every temple in Kamphaeng Phet province hosts events of some description during the Kluai Khai Fair & Sart Thai Festival, I haven’t tried to test that claim – it would be impossible.

Kampaeng Phet City is a very quiet, peaceful town in the lower part of Northern Thailand forming a border province between the northern and central regions of the country. It has a famous historical park, protected by UNESCO as a World Heritage site, comprising the ruins of an ancient city and temple complex.

In that respect it is similar to more famous sites at Ayutthaya, Sukhothai, and Phimai, but has a distinctiveness of its own, with the archaeology and temple styles having more in common with Chiang Mai and Wieng Kum Kam far to the north of it.

Very few tourists visit Kampaeng Phet, which is a shame because it’s a great little town, with a peaceful, and almost untrodden, vast archaeological site.

More about Bananas – they are always in season, providing a continuous, year-round, source of food in developing nations. More than 400 million people depend on them as a staple food source.  In our rapidly changing world, both cultivated and wild bananas are highly threatened by climate change, deforestation, and a new banana-killing fungus. Some scientists predict that the banana industry will collapse within 5-20 years, and that many wild banana species are facing extinction

Kamphaeng Phet Sart Thai Tradition and Banana Festival

Kamphaeng Phet Sart Thai Tradition and Banana Festival

Kamphaeng Phet Sart Thai Tradition and Banana Festival

 

 

Article soure : www.gazlannathai.com

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Celebrate the goddess of fertility and the passage of adolescence.

Swinging into adulthood
The Akha, the tribal highlanders in Thailand's North, celebrate their annual Swing Ceremony from late August to early September. A thrilling albeit vanishing tradition, the Swing Ceremony celebrates the goddess of fertility and the passage from adolescence to adulthood. Visitors to the village can break bread, enjoy the tribal music and dance, and get a big dose of adrenaline on the giant swing. For more detail, call (053) 918 415.
Pedal power for the seriously fit
It's time to get your mountain bike strapped securely on the car and speed off to Bhumibol Dam in Tak province, one of the country's best cycling destinations, where over the weekend of August 28-29, the province once again plays host to the International Mountain Bike Competition, a 80-kilomtre race from downtown Tak to the reservoir. On Saturday, at the dam's reservoir there'll be plenty of family friendly races, including "Couple Bike" for spouses and other mates, "Groupie Bike" for threesomes and "Conqueror" for youngsters under 16. The event wraps up on Sunday with a showcase of vintage bicycles, a final race and some live entertainment in the evening. For more information, call (055) 514 341-3.
Wild, wild water
Prachin Buri's Na Di district is playing host to the Rafting Festival this weekend, marking the beginning of a four-month-long rafting season along the Hin Phlerng Rapids in Khao Yai national Park. From now to October, thrill-seekers and adventure travellers alike can bounce in rubber boats through a series of wild rapids that vary from Class III to IV. The rafting station is at Khao Yai National Park's 9th Base in Prachin Buri province. Call (037) 312 284 or visit http://www.tat8.com/.
Nakhon Nayok's flower power
Take a short trip to Khlong Sib Ha (Klong 15), Nakhon Nayok province, and come home with plants and flowers for your backyard. Today and tomorrow, Khlong Sib Ha is home to a glorious Flower and Garden Festival, boasting a flower showcase that's eight kilometres long. Expect a mix of design ideas, horticultural excellence, great shopping and glorious floral displays. Call (037) 391 295.

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A visit to Sing Buri can refresh the mind and the body as well

Sing Buri, in the central region, is blessed with many Buddhist temples spread across 841 square metres of lush vegetation. One of the most revered is Wat Phikun Thong, where visitors can pay homage to both the Kingdom's largest sitting Buddha image, which is 23m wide and 42m tall, and the statue of Luang Pho Phae, a popular former abbot of the temple. It is housed in Tha Chang district's Tambon Wihan Khao, approximately 16km from Muang Sing Buri.

The huge Buddha image, which sits in the stance of giving a blessing, is called Luangpho Yai, and is made of concrete and decorated with a golden mosaic. Even before reaching our destination, I could see this huge statue from a distance. On our arrival, we first visited the Luangpho Phae Museum, inside the temple compound, which shows the history of this revered Buddhist monk and his eight requisites of leading a pious life.

Opposite is the Buddha image in the posture of giving a blessing. The large prayer hall at the front is circled by a gallery where Buddha images in different postures are housed. There is also a sprawling park with a small lake and huge images of Hindu and Chinese gods, where visitors can meditate close to nature. The tranquility and peaceful ambience is most befitting for visitors who wish to make a pilgrimage to this enchanting temple.

The grounds of Wat Phikun Thong are also a popular spot for festivals. When we visited, the seasonal tropical fruit event was in full swing. A number of local residents, dressed in traditional garb, put on a range of activities to showcase their cultural traditions and dances. There were also fruit eating contests, and of course the opportunity to buy fruit from nearby farms.

Our next temple stop was Phra Non Chaksi Worawihan, a royal temple, which is about a 9km drive. Inside the prayer hall is a beautiful Sukhothai-style reclining Buddha image, which is more than 45m long and facing north.

Visitors from all walks of life can be seen praying and offering garlands and incense to the Buddha image, which looks down at them with loving tenderness. Also in the vicinity are two Buddha images - Phra Kan, a stone image, and Phra Kaeo, which sits in a cross-legged posture. History has it that they were constructed during the reign of Rama V, who decreed the statues be used as chief images at a ceremony where civil servants swear an oath of allegiance to the king.

 

We then visited Wat Na Phrathat, a less visited but historic spot in a remote farming community thought to have once been the old town of Sing Buri. Sitting among a large number of ruins is the main attraction of the temple, a phra prang (corn-shaped pagoda) which has figures of demons holding batons and garudas over the relic chamber. According to archaeological findings, this temple is thought to have been built before 14 AD. Walking through the ruins, one gets the impression that religion played a pivotal role in people's lives in those days. The temple is on a high rectangular mound. As you walk further, you will notice the size of the spacious prayer hall, which gives you some idea of how the temple-goers in those days must have filled the prayer room with religious offerings. To the east of the tall corn-shaped pagoda is a hall where a Buddha image was once enshrined, and to the west lies the ordination hall encircled by a number of smaller, round pagodas, of which only the bases remain.

After being spiritually enlightened, we decided to visit the local Sing Buri fresh market before heading back to Bangkok. In addition to fruit and vegetables, there is also an abundance of fish at this market, as three rivers - the Chao Phraya, the Noi and the Lop Buri - meet at Sing Buri. As well from enjoying Sing Buri's local culinary delights, don't forget to take time out to speak with local vendors, who are always ready for a chat.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Article and picture source : www.bangkokpost.com

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Tham Pla - Namtok Pha Suea National Park

Tham Pla - Pha Sua National Park is situated in an approximate area of 488 square kilometers or 305,000 rai, covering the areas of Tham Pla - Pha Sua Waterfall in the right hand side of Mae-pai National Conserved Forest, Muang District, and Pang Ma-pha Sub-district. The topography of the National Park consist of high mountains extending northwards, which are the sources of streams and rivers. The natural sightseeing spots at the National Park consist of Tham Pla - Pha Sua Waterfall, which are beautiful and very popular for recreational activities.
Geography
The topography of the National Park consist of steep mountains. And Doi Lan is the highest mountaintop of the National Park (1,918 meters above the sea level). The north and the west of the National Park reaches Charn State of the Union of Myanmar; whereas, the south of the National Park reaches Huay Mhak-uen and Huay Peung of Muang District, Mae Hong Son Province; and the east of the National Park reaches the River of Pang Ma-pha Sub-district, Mae Hong Son Province.
 Climate
The weather at the National Park is influenced by the tropical seasonal monsoon and can be divided into 3 seasons including the rainy season (May-October), when there are heavy rains (within the 10-year period, it rains 138 days/year); winter (November-January), when the weather is dry and cold; and summer (February-May), when the weather is hot and sultry.
Flora and Fauna
There are various kinds of forests within the areas of the National Park, including tropical evergreen forests, virgin forests, pinery, mixed forests, timber forests, and grasslands. Major plants include Lagerstroemia floribunda (Tabaek-na), timbers, Shorea siamensis (Rang), Sindora siamensis Teijsm. Ex Miq. (Maka-tae), teak, Afzelia xylocarpa Roxb., Leguminosae (Pradoo), Xylia xylocarpa (redwood plants), Lagerstroemia calyculata Kurz. (Tabaek-luerd), Malabar ironwood, two-leaf/three-leaf pines, etc.
Wild animals found in the National Park include goral, gaur, wild buffaloes, bears, Muntiacus Muntjak, wild boars, birds, etc.

Mae Hong Son Thailand National Park : Tham Pla - Namtok Pha Suea National Park

Mae Hong Son Thailand National Park : Tham Pla - Namtok Pha Suea National Park

Mae Hong Son Thailand National Park : Tham Pla - Namtok Pha Suea National Park

Mae Hong Son Thailand National Park : Tham Pla - Namtok Pha Suea National Park

Tags : Thailand National Park , Thailand Travel, Nature Travel , Thailand Picture, National Park Camping

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Namtok Thi Lo Su (Tak)

Namtok Thi Lo Su is located in the Umphang Wildlife Sanctuary, a UNESCO World Heritage site, which links with the Thung Yai Naresuan and Huay Kha Kaeng Reserves, as well as Khlong Lan and Mae Wong National Parks. Together, they form Thailand's largest wildlife haven and Southeast Asia's top virgin forest.
Thi Lo in the local language means waterfall and Su means loud, thus, Thi Lo Su means waterfall that makes a loud noise. This is due to its size and the intense flow of the stream. In Karen, "Thi Lo Su" means Black Waterfall.
The biggest and the most beautiful waterfall in Thailand, Namtok Thi Lo Su is also considered the sixth biggest waterfall in the world. The waterfall itself originates from Huai Klotho, streaming along limestone cliffs at the height of 200-300 meters down to cascading tiers which are surrounded by intact natural forests. There is a cave behind the waterfall worth exploring and several levels of pools for swimming.
To get there, visitors can either raft or drive. For those deciding to drive a 4WD vehicle, the distance is 47 kilometers from Umphang to the wildlife sanctuary office. From there, visitors have to walk along the 1.5 kilometers self-guided forest trail which provides unrivalled natural forest scenery. Please note that vehicles can possibly reach the office only during November to April. In the rainy season, Thi Lo Su is accessible only by rafting along Maenam Mae Klong. From the drop-off point, visitors have to continue on foot for approximately 4-5 hours.
Camping at the Wildlife Sanctuary Headquarters is allowed near the falls, especially during November December, when the waterfall is at its most beautiful.
Visitors are advised to make enquiries with the TAT Office in Tak Province (Tel: 05 551 4341-3) regarding travel conditions and camping opportunities

How to get to thi lo su (tee lor su)

How to get to Thi lo su

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Maehongson Attraction

Tham Lot
Tham Lot is a huge cave system once a dwelling place of pre-historic man. Archaeologists have discovered ancient clay pottery and a number of carved wooden coffins inside the rooms of the cave. Tham Lot is located some 77 kilometres from town. Between Km.138 and Km.139 of Route 1095, a small roads lead to the cave after a 9-kilometre drive. Here nature has created an exotic subterranean wonder of darkness and mystery.
A brook runs from the cave mouth through to the other side of the mountain. It is a route where visitors may travel by raft or by foot to explore the 1-kilometre-long cave full of stalactites and stalagmites. There are services provided by villagers to guide visitors in their exploration at 100 baht per group. Accommodation as well as camping site is available near the Tham Lot Nature Study Centre in front of the cave mouth.

Tha Pai Hot Spring
This is another attraction in the area of Huai Nam Dang National Park. The hot spring is two kilometres off Route 1095 at Km. 87. It has an average temperature of 80 celcius. Steam from the spring permeates the site in the morning creating fascinating sights. The area is also rich in teakwoods and suitable for overnight camping.


Wat Phra That Doi Kong Mu
Erected by the first governor of Mae Hong Son, this temple reflects the strong influence of the Burmese. The highlights of this attraction are the two lavishly decorated pagodas. Also, this hilltop temple affords an exceptional aerial view of the city and surrounding mountains and valleys.


Salween National Park
Covering a forested area of 721 square kilometers, the Salawin National Park is on the bank of the Salween or Salawin River on the Thai-Myanma border, about 164 kilometres south of Mae Hong Son. The Salawin River originates from Tibet before winding through China, Thailand and Myanmar for a total distance of more than 3,000 kilometres. The river is regarded as the borderline between Myanmar and Thailand for a distance of 120 kilometres.

Visitors wishing to take a boat along the river have tocontact the park headquarters for their safety during the journey. The headquaters also provide accommodation and other facilities. To get to the headquarters, one can take Route 1194 from Mae Sariang district for about 4 kilometres, then turn right and continue along a dirt road for 4 kilometres. The best time for boat trip is from March to April when the water level is low and sandy beaches appear. Sceneries along the riverbanks are captivating with forest and mountains and dotted with small hamlets.

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Kamphang Phet Historical Park

Major features of Kamphang Phet Historical Park include archaeological remains of ancient sites such as Muang Chakangrao to the east of the Ping River, Muang Nakhon Chum to the west and Muang Trai Trueng some 18 kilometres from the town to the southwest. Services from the Tourist Centre are available, the centre itself being located some 5 kilometres from town on the Kamphaeng Phet-Phran Kratai route.
Chakangrao, the ancient Kamphaeng Phet town, had the same town planning concept as the old Sukhothai and Si Satchanalai, with separate zones for religious sites both within and outside of town limits. Structures are usually large and made of laterite. Religious sites on the west bank of the Ping River at Nakhon Chum are built of bricks and of smaller size.
Remains of the ancient sites within the city walls are as follows:
City Walls and Old Fortifications mark the boundary of the rectangular town area, measuring 300-700 metres wide and 2,200 metres long.
Phra Kaeo Temple (Wat Phra Kaeo) is a large royal temple in town centre near a site believed to have been a palace. The temple itself was used on important city events and had no monks in residence. Major features include the principal chedi with lion-adorned base and a round chedi with elephant-adorned base. There are also other chedis of different bases and remains of several chapels. Its boundary is marked off by laterite walls.
Second in size to Wat Phra Kaeo is Phra That Temple. Here the principal chedi is built of mixture of laterite and bricks with a 15-metre wide square base. The style is of Kamphaeng Phet architecture.
Sa Mon is the site of the palace located to the north of Wat Phra Kaeo with a square earthen wall almost touching the northern city wall. Surrounded the walls on three sides are moats with a pond in the middle. There are no standing structures remaining today.
Phra Non Temple (Wat Phra Non) is fenced in by laterite walls on four sides. At the front of the temple are a square-shaped pond, bathrooms and an ancient floating pavilion which is supported by a large laterite column. The entire column was cut out in one single piece from its source and measures 1.1 meters on each side and 6.4 meters in height, the largest such stone in the country. A lion sculpture and Sema stones (boundary stones) can still be discerned. The large Vihan which once housed the Reclining Buddha has crumbled entirely.
Phra Si Iriyabot Temple (Wat Phra Si Iriyabot) is located to the north of Wat Phra Non and has similar pond and bathroom facilities as its neighbour. Walls on the four sides are of laterite materials with an entrance also made of laterite. A Mondop structure houses Buddha statues in four postures-walking, sitting, standing and reclining in the Sukhothai artistic style. Today only the statue in the standing posture still remains.
Phra Sing Temple (Wat Phra Sing) is believed to have been constructed during both the Sukhothai and Ayutthaya periods. With laterite walls, it has a square-shaped principal Chedi with arches on four sides. In front of the Ubosot are ornamental lion and Naga figurines.
Chang Rop Temple (Wat Chang Rop) is a large temple situated on a high hill. Its main Chedi of Ceylonese style is in the middle of the yard but its top part is broken down. The base is adorned with 68 half-elephants between which are Bhoti-shaped designs. There are also traces of demon and female dancers' figures remaining. Apart from these temples, there are also several ancient sites on the east bank of the Ping River, including Wat Arwat Yai, Wat Kalothai and Phra Ruang Road.
Muang Nakhon Chum is an ancient town on the west bank of the Ping River. Its 2-3 metre-high earthen walls run along the waterway. It is in this area that the famous religious tablets of Kamphaeng Phet have been discovered. Within the city walls are a couple of ancient sites such as the Kamphaeng Pom Thung Sethi located on Phahonyothin Road just before entering the town. It is part of the laterite fortifications 83 metres long and 6 metres tall.
Phra Borom Temple (Wat Phra Borom) That is a temple situated in the centre of Muang Nakhon Chum featuring a Burmese-style Chedi. To the south is an Ubosot housing several Sukhothai- and Ayutthaya-style bronze Buddha statues. The Chedi itself is believed to originally have been a Sukhothai-type structure, its style having been altered during a restoration work financed by a wealthy Burmese about a century ago.
Another ancient town is Muang Trai Trueng. It was built by King Chaisiri of Chiang Rai who fled invading enemy in 1542 B.E. (circa 999). Today most of the structures are in disrepair with only ruins of Chedis and ramparts. The town is about 18 kilometres from Kamphaeng Phet on the Kamphaeng Phet-Khlong Lan road

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Chiang Rai Travel : Doi Tung

Doi Tung is located in Mae Fa Luang District and can be reached by taking Highway No.110 for about 48 kilometers and turning left onto Highway No. 1149, an asphalt road leading directly to Doi Tung. The route winds through beautiful scenery with many interesting sites including the Doi Tung Palace (Pra Tamnak Doi tung), the Mae Fa Luang Garden and Akha and Muser tribal villages. IN addition to scenic lookouts, the most notable attraction is the Phra That Doi Tung Holy Relic, an old religious site atop the mountain.
Also located on Doi Tung Mountain is a beautiful royal residence known as Phra Tamnak Doi Tung. The royal villa, situated on the slopes of the adjacent Pa Kluay Reservoir, was to serve as a royal winter retreat for the Princess Mother, who passed away in 1995 and was originally built on the theory that the local hill tribes would be honored by the royal presence and thereby cease their opium cultivation.
The main attraction for visitors to Phra Tamnak Doi Tung is 'Suan Mae Fa Luang', the beautiful landscaped gardens filled with hundreds of different kinds of plants and flowers, named in honor of the Princess Mother and the Doi Tung Development Project established by the late Princess Mother in 1987.
Article source : http://www.tourismthailand.org/

Thailand Travel Chiang Rai Travel : Doi Tung

Thailand Travel Chiang Rai Travel : Doi Tung

Thailand Travel Chiang Rai Travel : Doi Tung

Thailand Travel Chiang Rai Travel : Doi Tung

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Chiang Rai Festival : Bor Sang Umbrella and Sankampaeng Handicraft Festival

Bor Sang, on highway 1006 heading east from Chiang Mai, appears to be a typical sleepy rural village, the kind the tour bus speeds by giving you just a fleeting glimpse of its two-storey wooden houses. But hidden in the tiny lanes, villagers have perfected a craft that creates the country’s most famous umbrellas.
For more than 100 years, the village has been associated with the production of umbrellas made from Saa paper derived from mulberry tree bark. According to local history, a monk travelled to neighbouring Myanmar, where he came across Saa paper umbrellas that offered protection against both the sun and rain.
He returned with the production technique and introduced the umbrella to the elders of Bor Sang village, who added their own artistic skills to create a distinctive colourful, but very practical, umbrella. At first it was just a profitable hobby that supplemented the villagers’ earnings from the annual rice crop. However, with time production of the Saa paper umbrellas prospered, prompting villagers to establish a handicraft cooperative in 1941 that now organises the annual festival.
Using silk and cotton, weaved at neighbouring Sankampaeng, villagers eventually added a second line of umbrellas decorated with images of the north, its flowers and birds, all intricately hand-painted.
Today, Bor Sang village exports both Saa-paper and silk umbrellas. They are seen at trade shows in a variety of sizes, from giant parasols that offer a shady canopy from the sun, to miniscule variations that adorn popular cocktail drinks.
To celebrate success the village hosts a three-day festival every January. Streets are illuminated by lanterns, while hundreds of umbrellas are hung from the rafters and beams of houses and shops. Bands play, while villagers compete to design the year’s most attractive umbrella. Concerts, a food festival and beauty contest all compete for the attention of the audience, a mix of both tourists and residents, who gather here to celebrate Bor Sang’s innovative handicraft skills.
Throughout the year, tourists visit the village, a short 6 km drive from Chiang Mai, to buy umbrellas and study the process and skills that go into making a handicraft entirely from natural products. But nothing quite compares with the buzz that permeates the village during this colourful three-day handicraft festival, every January. It is a scene that represents village hospitality and charm at its very best.
Article Source : http://www.tourismthailand.org/

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