Serene on tour. Travel guide

Transcription

1 Serene on tour Travel guide

2 TRAVEL Recreation The Golden Triangle The joint of three countries, namely Thailand, Laos and Myanmar. It has Mekong River separates Thai and Lao apart, while Ruak River separates Thai and Myanmar. The natural joint of the three countries is a sand dune at the middle of the rivers and it is the best place to admire the view of Mekong River. There are few communities on Lao s borders and a newly built casino. On Myanmar s side there is a large casino building that Thai entrepreneur had built as an entertainment for the visitors. Chiang Saen National Museum Locates next to Che Di Luang Temple on the west side; the museum was founded in the year 2500BE and is housing the ancient relics that has been found in Chiang Saen and surrounding area. The museum also exhibit the history of the local community, such as models that depict the foundation of many societies in Chiang Saen area. Admission fee: 100 Baht per person Open hours: close on Monday, Tuesday and annual holiday

3 TRAVEL Recreation Hall of Opium The Golden Triangle Park The Hall of Opium The Golden Triangle Park, located on 250 Rai area, around 10 Kilometers from Chiang Saen. The buildings are surrounded by beautiful garden. The Hall of Opium is the exhibition of opium history - back when opium s usage was till legal and abundant and the effect of opium addiction. The Hall of Opium also serves as the information center for the research and study about opium, its extraction and related drug. Chiang Saen Lake Chiang Saen Lake is a largest source of fresh water for the town of Chiang Saen since the ancient time; it s located at 4 kilometers away, on the west side, from the town of Chaing Saen and locally known as Nong Boang Kai, practically a medium size natural swamp.

4 TRAVEL Temple Visiting the holy things touring Chiang Saen by visit 12 temples for boosting self-auspiciousness Pratat Chedi Luang Temple It was ancient tradition that a newly build town must have its own pagoda. Chedi Luang Pagoda is the pagoda of Chiang Saen that has been built at the early era of this town. The pagoda had been built in according with the ancient tradition, that is, have the main pagoda at the center surround with 4 smaller pagoda at its corners and place the monastery on the east side of the main pagoda. The main pagoda is a bell-shaped with octagonal base. It is the tallest pagoda in Chiang Saen and a famous tourist attraction. The pagoda was created in the year 1887BE; however, the pagoda deteriorated over time and the present still in good condition was a new pagoda that has been made over the original base back in the year 2058BE. Location and traveling : Pratat Chedi Luang Temple sits inside the town of Chiang Saen s moat, from Chiang Saen t-junction on the side of Mekong River, turn right into Route 1016, travel further around 300 meters and you ll reach Pratat Chedi Luang Temple on the left side.

5 TRAVEL Temple Pratat Chomkitti Temple Pratat Chomkitti Temple is an ancient pagoda that stays with the town of Chaing Saen since its dawn. The pagoda sits on Chomkitti Hill, has been made in the castle-shaped with bell top and upside down lotus-shaped roof, square base supports the secondary smaller base with the standing image of Buddha on four corners. On the east side of the pagoda there is a recently built monastery that had been made in Larn Na style. It is a graceful monastery with magnificent view of Mekong River. Location and traveling: Pratat Chomkitti Temple locates on Chomkitti Hill, on the area outside of the town of Chiang Saen s moat. Start from Chiang Saen t-junction on the side of Mekong River, turn right into Route 1016 and travel pass the moat for another 500 meters then turn right at the next intersection, travel along this road until you come across the temple s entrance or you can park the car and go ask around. After reaching the temple, park the car under the tree s shade and walk up the Naga ladder a little bit more and you ll reach it.

6 TRAVEL Temple Pa Sak Temple Locates next to the west side of the town s moat, the temple area run along the moat from Fort Chiang Saen City Gate to Fort Nong Mut Gate. There are 7 ancient remains inside the temple, all but one are ruined that has only brick line to tell what they were. The only still standing ancient remain is the main pagoda, built in castle-shaped with five bell shaped tops, decorates with many graceful stucco statures. This temple has been built by Phaya Sanpoo in the year 1883BE and serves as the housing pagoda for the ashes of Phra Puttya Kosajarn from India. After the temple had been built, 300 teak woods (Sak) had been planted around the temple s wall, hence became the name of the Pa Suk Temple. Traveling: From the town of Chiang Saen, take Route 1016, after pass the town s moat then turn right into the temple Admission fee: 100 Baht per person

7 TRAVEL Temple Phra Tart Pa-ngao Temple Sit outside the town of Chaing Saen, by traveling on the road that run along Mekong River from Chiang Saen Chaing Kong, about 4 kilometers away from Chiang Saen. Phra Tart Pa-ngao locates on the right side of the road, between the 48th and 49th kilometer marker. The prominent characteristic of Phra Tart Pa-ngao is the Pa-ngao Pagoda that sit on a big rock behind the monastery, a lot like Phra Tart In-kwan Pagoda in Myanmar. In front of the pagoda is the new monastery that had been made to replace the deteriorated original monastery. During the building of the new monastery, they dug out a sacred image of Buddha, made in Parng Marn Vichai with the ancient art of Chaing Saen. At the present, this beautiful sacred image of Buddha was installed inside the new monastery. The temple hold no record of when, and by who, that it was built. The new monastery decorates with modern applied art of Larn Na Chiang Saen. Around the back of the monastery is Naga ladders that will take you up to the original ancient pagoda on the hill, which only has the brick line of the base left. This is a holy pagoda that local people worship.

8 TRAVEL Temple Phra Tart Poo Khao Temple Locates on Doi Chiang Miang Hill, in Sob Ruak area, around 11 kilometers away from the town of Chiang Saen, toward the Golden Triangle. The temple was built around the year 1302BE, in the reign of Phraya Lao Kao Kaew Ma Moeng, the second king of Kwan Hirun Nakhon Ngern Yang. Inside the temple, there is a beautiful monastery that had been decorated with many graceful statutes. At the back of the temple there is an old ancient ruined of pagoda that still exhibit its graceful statue. Phra Chao Larn Thong Temple Locates at the middle of the town of Chiang Saen, around 400 meters away from Pratat Chedi Luang Temple. The temple s monastery is housing the sacred image of Buddha calls Phra Chao Larn Thong. The tale said the temple had been built around the year 2032BE by Phraya Srirachata Ngern Gong, son of Phra Chao Tilokaraja The King of Chaing Mai. After the temple has been created, the principle image of Buddha was made from 1,200 kilograms of bronze, hence became the name of the sacred image and the temple. At the present, the monastery is under restoration and therefore unable to show its true gracefulness; the monastery also close for restoration, too. The pagoda sits at the back of the temple

9 TRAVEL Temple Phra Tart Sorn Pee Nong Temple Chiang Saen has plenty of temples, there are number of small temples all over the district but this one sits on the route that lead to Chiang Kong, around 1 kilometer from Phra Tart Pa-ngao. Inside the temple, there is castle-shaped pagoda. Phaya San Poo built this temple before he went on to building the town of Chiang Saen. At the present day, there are still traces of the town s ancient moat in the temple.

10 TRAVEL Temple Phra Boromtart Puttanimitr Pagoda A white pagoda, sit on a low hill to the east of the town of Chiang Saen. The pagoda we see today is the new one that has been made over the old base. The new Phra Boromtart Puttanimitr Pagoda is a large pagoda, inside there is a hall that show the base of the old pagoda. At the wall of this hall there are pictures, telling the story of Chaing Saen. There is also a perfect point to view the Mekong River on the pagoda. Phra Ubosot Lung Suay Monastery Locates on the same hill as Phra Boromtart Puttanimitr Pagoda but on a lower ground, around 400 meters away. It is a newly built - graceful monastery, decorated with statues of Larn Na Chiang Saen Art. Inside, there is the Pang Marn Vichai - principle sacred image of Buddha, made in Chiang Saen style. (There are 3 styles of sacred image, from 3 separates era, namely, Chiang Saen, Sukhothai and Uthong)

11 TRAVEL Temple The sacred image Phra Putta Nawa Larn Toe is a sacred image made in Chiang Saen style Singha One Series the most beautiful series of sacred image among other sacred image made in the same Chiang Saen style, and a popular sacred image among the people of Larn Na. The sacred image is in Parng Marn Vichai and made from 69 metric tons of Bussarakum Gold. The sacred image is 9.99 meters wide, 15 meters tall and covers with gold, installs on Kusoltum Boat, a Chaing Saen style boat with 89 meters in length, 7.50 meters in height and 22 meters wide. The boat imply itself as a courier that will Phra Putta Nawa Larn Toe take human to the era of Phra Sriarayametri. Back in the ancient time of Chiang Saen, a great kingdom in the north, the sacred image Phra Putta Nawa Larn Toe, also known as, the sacred image Phra Chao Thong Thip, is the center of the Buddhist from both side of Mekong River as the people believe it is a holy sacred image that conjures wealth and plenteousness. Hence became the tale about a large sacred image calls Phra Chao Larn Toe that sunk into Mekong River and caused the kingdom to break and the people to spread over countries.

12 TRAVEL Temple Wat Chettawhan Locates on the intersection next to Rajphachanugroh 15 School ; it s a large, shady temple that also known as Wat Kar Poek. The temple contains brick and mortar pagoda with 5 meter width square bade with round bell top, locates behind the monastery. The pagoda has small porch on the east side and has been built around the year BE by Phra Chao Suttho Thammaracha, king of Angwah, during the time when Chiang San became Burmese dependency state. Its pagoda locates on the back of the monastery which face toward the east. Some estimated that this pagoda might have been during the 998 Era (the year 2079 of Buddhist Era), the year of rat, Attasok. During that time, Phra Chao Suttho Thammaracha was performing his merit making mission, he issued the royal command to convert Narng Fah Kar Poek Palace of Chiang San into the royal temple and named it Wat Chettawhan; then invited Phra Maha Tera Wat Par Pai Don Tan to be the temple s abbot.

13 TRAVEL Temple Locates at the 17.5th kilometer marker of Route 1149 and contains the ashes of Buddha s left clavicle which has been brought from Muttayom Pratate and it was the first time that the Buddhism of Lungawong has rooted itself in Larn Na. While they were building the pagoda that will be use to hold the sacred ashes, they created Thong Takarp (The Centipede Flag which calls Tung), with the size more than 1000 Wahs long (about 2000 meter in length). The flag then installed at the top of the hill and they intent to mark the place where the end of the flag has land as the building area for the pagoda s base. Therefore, this hill became the first pagoda of Larn Na and was call Doi Tung (The Flag Hill) from henceforth. Phra Tart Doi Tung is an important sacred place of worship that attracts a lot of Buddhist - both Thai and foreigner from nearby countries, such as the people of Chiang Tung From Shan, people for Myanmar, Luang Phra Bang, Viang Jahn to visit the pagoda every year. Phra Tart Doi Tung

14 TRAVEL Shopping lover The Market of Chiang Saen The Market of Chiang Saen, sits next to Wat Che di Temple, is a central market of food and appliance products for the people of Chiang Saen District. You can find various kinds of dried food, fresh fruit and vegetable and etc. The market opens for business from to

15 TRAVEL Shopping lover Mae Sai Market Tah Ki Lek Market Tah Ki Lek, Myanmar s borderland, is an all-round market that sells jewelry, colored gem, ruby, jade, cheap electric appliance from China, dried sea food, liquor, cigarette, CD, DVD and etc. After crossing the border into Tah Ki Lek, there ll be servicing tricycle that can take you to visit the Replica of Shawedagon Pagoda, about 2 kilometers away from the border. It s a golden, Burmese pagoda, the replica of the real Shawedagon Pagoda in Rangoon. The tricycle will normally cost you Baht per trip, while there are also servicing motorcycle that can take you to various attractions, at a cost, for example, 20 Baht to gem market. However, you should thoroughly settle the cost, whether it is for one single trip and two way trip. Mae Sai District Mae Sai District, 61 Kilometers from Chiang Rai by Highway 110, is the farthest district in the North of Thailand; sits next to Tah Ki Lek Province of Myanmar, with Mae Sai River acts as the natural border. A bridge across Mae Sai River links two cities together, which allows people from both country, Thailand and Myanmar, to freely journey back and forth. Thai tourist love to visit Mae Sai Market and Myanmar s Tah Ki Lek Market, for buying local and cheap products, such as, herbal soap, bronze handcrafts, weaved basket and etc. For crossing into Tah Ki Lek, Thai tourist can travel to Myanmar district every day, between and They ll have to present their identity card, or any other official identification paper. The processing fee is 30 Baht, with another 10 Baht from border crossing fee. There are some forbidden products that you can t bring back from Myanmar into Thailand, such as, wild life s products, liquor, foreign cigarette and pornographic materials. Products that have been purchase for further commercial purpose are also required to pay the import tax.

16 TRAVEL Eco Tourism Mae Salong Hill Mae Salong Hill is located at 75 Kilometers from Chiang Rai, or approximately 1.5 hours of travel. Mae Salong Hill is a typical name for the Haw Chinese community, mainly the descendant of the Chinese 93rd Division that has been migrated and settled on this hill for more than 40 years ago. At the present, the Haw Chinese community is called Sunti Kiri Village. The village is located at 1,200 meters above sea level and has quite chilling climate all year long. The main income of the villager is growing U-loang Tea. Sunti Kiri Village is a large community, housing almost 800 households and contains Buddhist temple, Christian church, Islamic mosque; have their public utility like electricity, telephone and Thai Military Bank. Prominent tourist attractions in Mae Salong Hill are:

17 TRAVEL Eco Tourism Memorial of the Descendant of the Chinese 93rd Division Exhibit the history of the community, open every day from Admission fee is 30 Baht for Thai and 50 Baht for foreigner. Also, around January the Cheery Blossom (Sakura) will bloom all over the place; make it a good occasion for chilling, sipping tasty tea and tasting Chinese dished. Buying souvenir They sell temperate crops, tea, coffee, peach, Chinese bayberry, wine, herbal products and local foods from China and tribesman s handicraft decorations. Visitors can buy many high quality souvenirs at low price. The most famous souvenir from Mae Salong Hill is teas of various kinds that available from many shops that mostly operates and own their private tea plantations.

18 TRAVEL Eco Tourism Climate Mae Salong Hill have cold, chilling atmosphere all year long, with average temperature between degree Celsius. During winter, around December 2 January, the average temperature will drop to 4-6 degree Celsius during the night. The hottest time of the year in summer, around April, has average temperature between 25 and 32 degree Celsius. The most comfortable time of the year is between June September, has average temperature around degree Celsius. Routes to Mae Salong Hill 1st route Travel from Chiang Rai along Route 1, after passing Mae Chan District then turn left into Route 1089 (Mae Chan Tah Torn). You ll pass Par Tung Hot Spring of Huay Hin Fon Village at the 856rd Kilometer Marker. After reaching t-junction Kew Satai at the 55rd Kilometer Marker, turn right then head to Mae Salong Hill, about 15 kilometers away. 2nd route Travel along Route 1 pass Mae Chan District toward Mae Sai District, after reaching the Tribesman Development and Support Center which sit around the t-junction near the 10rd Kilometer Marker, turn right toward Route 1338 which head to Doi Tung Royal Villa; turn left into Route 1234, pass E-kor Village, then turn left when you reach the 9rd Kilometer Markers, drive up to the hill, about 16 Kilometers away.

19 TRAVEL History Doi Tung Royal Villa The building of Doi Tung Royal Villa started at December 26th of the year 2530BE when Somdet Phr Srinagarindra Boromarajajonani was 88 years old. Her Majesty the Queen Grandmother said that she wouldn t want to go to stay the summer at Switzerland once she reach the age of 90 years old. The Office of His Majesty Principal Private Secretary hence chose Doi Tung mount, which has a beautiful area, as the building ground for the new royal villa. Also, Her Majesty the Queen Grandmother also once visited the area and stated her wish to have a royal villa build here, along with growing of the forest on this high hill. Doi Tung Royal Villa comprises of 4 areas: private living quarter for Somdet Phra Srinagarindra Boromarajajonani, the royal hall and dining hall, the private living quarter of Thanpuying Dhasanawalaya Sornsongkram daughter of Her Royal Highness Princess Galyani Vadhana, Princess of Naradhiwas and the private living quarter of Her Royal Highness Princess Galyani Vadhana, Princess of Naradhiwas. The internal decoration is plain and simple but also elegant with proper usage, a direct reflection of the villa s owner.

20 TRAVEL History The town of Chiang Saen Chiang Saen is an old community that roots back to the pre-historical era. The historical record of Chiang Saen started when Phaya Sanpoo of the Mungrai House restored this abandon town, back in the year 1870BE, and henceforth, the town had its own governing royal family. In the era of Larn Na Kingdom that has Chiang Mai as the capital city of the kingdom, Chiang Saen is one of its subjective towns. Phra Chao Koe Nah, king of Chaing Mai, was the former governor of Chaing Saen. However, after a long period of peacefully living, Chaing Mai was invaded by Burma s army. The royal family of the north hence retreated to Chiang Saen instead. Later, Chiang Saen was also invaded by Burma s army, which used Chiang Saen as their main staging area for the invasion of Siam. After the army of Rattamakosin city reclaimed Chiang Mai from Burma, the Burmese army retreated to Chiang Saen as their final stronghold. The army of Rattnakosin city eventually drove Burmese army back to Burma, Chiang Saen hence become part of Siam Kingdom henceforth.

21 TRAVEL Health Par Tung Hot Spring, Huay Hin Fon Hot Spring Par Tung Village, Moo 11, Par Tung Sub district of Mae Jahn District, on the newer route toward Doi Mae Salong Hill (Route 1089), on the left side of the route near the 78th kilometer marker, about 8 kilometers from Mae Jahn District Office on Mae Jahn Farng Road. It is a main tourist attraction of Partung Sub-district and Mae Jahn District. The hot spring area has been made into a rest area garden on the side of the road, for weary travelers between the road back and forth from Doi Mae Salong Hill. It is a beautiful hot spring. Cycling around Chiang Saen Visitor can enjoy cycling around Chiang Saen as Serene at Chiang Rai Hotel has arrange bicycle for the customer to spin them off. There are many interestng attractions in the area that are accessible by bicycle, such as the golden triangle, Opium Hall or even ride into the town of Chiang Saen on a not so far distance. This one is suitable for those who love health tourism.

22 TRAVEL Culture Doi Din Daeng House Doi Din Daeng House is the factory and exhibition center of the pottery, founded by Mr. Somluck Puntiboon, a 51 years old - international ceramic handcrafts artist. Doi Din Daeng House locates on Number 49, Moo 6, 3rd Lane of Par Or Viilage, Phahomyothin Road, Narng Lae Subdistrict, Moeng District of Chiang Rai, (About 6 Kilometers from Chiang Rai Airport, along the road that lead to Mae Sai District, Don Din Daeng House will be on the right side, in the same lane as the Long Neck Kariang Tribe Village, approximately 1 kilometer further down the lane) It has been founded in the year 2534BE. Opening house are of every day except Sunday. The prominent characteristic of Doi Din Daeng House s pottery is the usage of local natural occurred resources while focus on the product s safety, utility and artistic gracefulness. The pottery of Doi Din Daeng House has unique color and surface. They are considered as a modern art, quite suitable as the house s decoration. Inside the factory, they also exhibit how to make the pottery to the visitor.