Popularly
known as the Rose of the North, Chiang Mai is blessed with stunning natural beauty
and unique indigenous cultural identity. Founded by King Mengrai the Great as
the capital of the Lanna Thai kingdom by merging the various city-states in the
region in 1296. Today Chiang Mai is the economic, communications, cultural and
tourism centre of Northern Thailand. About
700 kilometres from Bangkok, Chiang Mai is situated on the Mae Ping River basin
some 310 metres above sea level. Surrounded by high mountain ranges, it covers
an area of approximately 20,107 square kilometres. The terrain is mainly jungles
and mountains, parts of which are within national parks which are still fertile
and verdant with plentiful flora and fauna. There are many sites and locations
where tourists prefer to visit to study the lifestyle of the tribal people who
live on high hills.
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