Last week marked Chiang Rai’s 750th anniversary.
Founded in 1262 by King Mangrai, the city was essentially the first capital of
what was to become Siam and eventually Thailand. Chiang Rai, meaning the city
belonging to King Mangrai, was captured by the Burmese some time later, sending
the King fleeing south, where he founded Chiang Mai as his capital instead.
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| King Mangrai Memorial, Chiang Rai |
Despite its short reign as the Siamese capital, the people of Chiang Rai are
incredibly proud of their historical and cultural heritage. So, it stands to
reason that the 750-year anniversary would be a huge production.
In preparation for the celebration, all the schools in town
were closed Thursday and their parking lots commandeered by the city. As the capital
city of the Chiang Rai province, the expected turnout was pretty huge.
Chiang Rai remains the center of Thailand’s Lanna culture,
which has its own traditional dress, food and customs. (Fridays at school are ‘Lanna
Day’ during which time teachers wear traditional garb – women in straight,
ankle-length, wrap skirts and collared, wrap-closure shirts, and men in shirts
of rough fabric with knot-and-loop closures instead of buttons. Men
traditionally also get to wear pajama-style pants, just not to school.)
There is also a vast hilltribe population in the province,
each tribe speaking its own language, donning unique clothing, and practicing
its own customs. All in all, northern Thailand is soaked in a heritage all its
own.
The celebration brought each of these elements together. At
all the temples around town, shows and displays boasted Chiang Rai’s history.
And the Saturday walking street was opened on Thursday evening; a stationary parade-of-sorts
demonstrated the various costumes, dance, and music up and down the center of
the street. And on the sidelines, hilltribe handicrafts were sold while the
tribe children sported various jingling, colorful dress.
Despite being less popular than its predecessor Chiang Mai
(literally, ‘new city’), Chiang Rai has a rich cultural and historical
background. It was a spectacular celebration to be present for, despite the fact that we managed to only catch the aftermath, not the performances.
