Chiang Rai is Thailand's most overlooked city and province. It offers a variety of attractions, beautiful natural surroundings,
nice people and a mild climate. We are pleased to give you an impression of this magnificent province.
This website gives you information about Chiang Rai Province and Chiang
Rai City,
and also some interesting information about restaurants, hotels and resorts,
etc.
Chiang Rai province is the most nothern province of Thailand, about
785 kilometres from Bangkok. Chiang Rai
has an area of 11,678 square kilometres and 1,129,701 people live here.
The majority of the population is
Thai. 12,5% of the population are Hill Tribes.
The province borders Myanmar on the North, and Laos on the north and
northeast.
It is also known as a gateway to Myanmar, Laos and China.
The province has an interesting past and its pure nature makes Chiang
Rai popular for its pleasant,
relaxing atmosphere and its rich cultural diversity. Chiang Rai is famous
for its tasty lychees,
The Golden Triangle, 26 waterfalls and 12 National Parks. It is also home
to a several of the
Thailands oldest civilisations. These Hill Tribes maintain fascinating
lifestyles.
There are good expectations for investments for the future, since there
will be good things
happening arround here. There are a lot of companies opening and investing
in this province.
Also Her Higness Crown Princess will move into her grandmothers Royal
Palace.
Chiang
Rai city is home to 62,000 persons. A city with village characteristics
with all
necessary facilities: schools, hospitals, shops etc., are all over the
place.
There are several good restaurants and if you like the local food, there
is plenty
of choice. The renovated market offers plenty of food choices with a Thai
atmosphere.
The night bazar is absolutely worth the visit.
In the following text, we would like to tell you all about it.Wat Phra Keow is the temple that houses the Emerald Buddha (Phra Keow Marakot) and there are 2 in Thailand with identical names. One you can find within the walls of the Grand Palace in Bangkok and the other one is in Chiang Rai. But Chiang Rai claims to be the 'original' Wat Phra Kaeo. No one seems to know exactly when the temple was built. We’ve seen 1432, 1434 and 1436 and that dates back to when the city was founded. The original name of this temple was ‘Wat Pa Yia’, which means 'golden bamboo forest'. The golden bamboo grew abundantly in this area and several you can still find at the temple’s premises. The bamboo provides good shade making it a lush, but peaceful green garden.
Legends say this temple's chedi was struck by lightning in 1434 and cracked it open, to reveal the sacred image of the Emerald Buddha. The King, upon seeing this Buddha, commanded a new temple with the same name to be built In Bangkok and the Emerald Buddha was subsequently moved.
The beautiful main prayer hall (ubosot) was built in 1890 in the Chiang Saen style and was last remodeled in 1960. It is a wonderfully preserved wooden structure with fine carvings and decorations. It has double-tiered roof decorates with colored glass along the eaves
and the beams. The front portal posts and gable are decorated with intricate golden patterns. The doors are showpieces of northern wood-carving techniques. The entrance is guarded by the classic naga design stairs.
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Often overlooked is the Buddha image within the ubosot. Phra Jao Larn
Thong is a large image made of brass and copper in the posture of ‘sub-duing
mara, or demon’. It is not gilded like most Buddha images, but is one
of the largest and one of the most beautiful in Thailand. The image is
about 700 years old and was originally in Wat Phra Chao Lamthong in Chiang
Saen, then it was moved to Wat Ngam Muang in Chiang Rai and finally to
Wat Phra Kaew in 1961.
South of the ubosot is a large two-story museum (Viharn) in dark teak
wood trimmed in gold. The 'Saeng Kaeo' museum holds religious artifacts
and texts, and is open to public.
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Just behind, the temple's Chedi is a typically Lanna style wooden custom-built
pavillion. The original Emerald Buddha has now been replaced with a new
Marakot image. On 21 Oct 1990, Buddhist clerics and laity agreed to build
the Jade Buddha (commonly called Phra Yok Chiang Rai) to honor Her Royal
Highness Somdej Phrasrinkharintra, the Princess Mother’s, 90th Birthday.
The Buddha image was officially name is Phra Phuttha Rattanakonnawuttiwatsanuson
Mongkhon, which means ‘the Buddha who is the source of gems.’
The new Phra Kaew Marakot image was carved by a Chinese artist in Beijing,
China and prepared out of a large chunk of Canadian jasper, that was donated
by a rich Chinese businessman. A dedication ceremony was held in Bangkok
on 2- September 1991 (B.E. 2534) and the image was installed by grand
procession at Wat Phra Kaew, Chiang Rai on 19 October 1991.
The 'Emerald Buddha' is actually made of jasper, not jade as is generally
stated. Real jade isn't solid moss-green in color, but milky-white with
streaks of green or purple. And following to Buddhist protocol, the new
'Chiang Rai Jade Buddha' is not an exact copy of the original. It’s slightly
smaller with other variations, but still unique and beautiful.
Wat Phra Kaew was appointed as the First Royal Temple of Chiang Rai on
31 May 1978 (B.E. 2521). The temple is bestowed with beautiful holy buildings,
statuettes and pagodas. The white walls constructed all around the temple
complex are decorated with paintings and images depicting the scenes from
Ramakin, the Thai version of the Hindu epic Ramayana. But the compound
does not have the typical living quarters for monks that are so common
in the other temples of Thailand. You will find many monks sweeping leaves,
watering the plants and maintaining the temple’s complex.
Wat Phra Keow is located on Thanon Trairat (Trairat Road), opposite the
Overbrook Hospital. Any driver or local person will know where it is.
You can also find it on any of the available maps. Enjoy your visit to
the legendary Wat Phra Keow!
A brief history from the description inscribed at the entrance to the
temple’s ground:
According to Ratna Phimwong chronicle, the Emerald Buddha was sculpted
around 234 BC. by gods as a gift to Venerable Nagasen Thera of Pataliputra
(now Patna Bihar State India). Later the image was moved to Sri Lanka.
King Anurudha of Pagan (Myanmar) requested the Tripitaka and the Emerald
Buddha from Sri Lanka. On the return voyage the boat carrying the image
of the Emerald Buddha was swept ashore in Cambodia. Subsequently the image
had moved to Indrapatha (Angkor), Sri Ayudhaya, Lopburi and Kampaeng Phet.
In 1390 AD King Mahabhrom of Chiang Rai took the image from the Kampaeng
Phet and hid it behind stucco inside the pagoda of Wat Pa Yiah, Chiang
Rai. It was until 1434 that a bolt of lightning struck the Pagoda, revealing
its sacred treasure. Thereafter the Emerald Buddha had moved from place
to place as follows:
Chiang Rai for 45 years from 1391 to 1436
Lampang for 32 years from 1436 to 1468
Chiang Mai for 85 years from 1468 to 1553
Laos for 225 years from 1553 to 1778
Bangkok from 1778 to present
The original Emerald Buddha is the palladium of Thai Society. Located
on the grounds of the Grand Palace and enshrined in the Royal Chapel of
Wat Phra Kaew, the Emerald Buddha watches over the Thai nation.
Email:apaehouse@hotmail.com