Golden
Triangle - Chiang Saen - Chiang Khong
TOUR CODE : BCK
Take a boat trip downstream to Chiang
Saen, continue by minibus/car along the Mekong river
to visit Baan Had Pai, a Tai Lue/Lahu home spun weaving
village. Lunch will be at a local restaurant in Chiang
Khong and end with a visit Baan Kiew Karn, a village
of White Hmong located on a hilltop, before returning
to the Golden Triangle viewpoint and back to the hotel.
The Golden Triangle
Located 9 km to the north of Chiang Saen county is this
world-famous place where the borders of Thailand, Myanmar
and Laos meet.
You can stand at the very point where the Ruak River
from Myanmar flows into the Mekong, to take a fine view
of the rice fields and the distant mountains.
To get a wider view of the banks of Myanmar and Laos,
you can climb up Doi Chiang Miang on the riverside.
But don't expect to see any such things as poppy fields,
heroin factories or drug addicts or traffickers here.
Just enjoy the natural beauty and be proud that you
have been to a widely-known locality. There are boat
services for tourists to enjoy the scenery and to cruise
to Chiang Saen county.
Hotels and guesthouses are available and so are restaurants,
souvenirs stalls, trekking and boat ride arrangements
Chiang Saen
On the banks of the Mekhong River at the southern-most
point of the Golden Triangle tourist area is the ancient
city of Chiang Saen. The town is still very small, even
though it appears to have been a major trading crossroads
since the seventh century. It was probably part of the
kingdom of Yonok, and birthplace of Mengrai, who founded
the kingdom of Lanna.
It was actually around 1328 that the city you can see
today was laid out when King Saen Phu, Mengrai's nephew,
moved the capital of Lanna to Chiang Saen, which he
named after himself. This is when the walls were built
and the moat dug.
During the long history of conflict between the Siamese
and Burmese kingdoms, possesion of Chiang Saen passed
back and forth. Finally, after pushing the Burmese completely
out of Siam, King Rama I had Chiang Saen leveled in
1804 to remove it as a temptation to the Burmese. It
was reoccupied by descendants of the original citizens
in 1881 on the orders of Rama V.
Chiang Saen today is an interesting place to spend some
time, although most visit on a day trip from Chiang
Rai or Chiang Mai. You can easily make out the remains
of most of the city's walls and moat, as well as several
temples and defences. In the grounds of the old Wat
Mahathat is an information center that can provide you
with current information about what has been restored.
Chiang Khong
Down-river 70 kilometers (40 miles) from Chiang Saen
is the small town of Chiang Khong. Although part of
a kingdom established 1,300 years ago, there is little
to be seen in Chiang Khong. The town's main claim to
fame is as a port for goods headed to or from China,
as well as a crossing point for entry to Laos.
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