Chiang Mai Historical Centre

Presenting information about the Lua community, the Lua People are a minority cultural group of indigenous people of Laos who migrated and have lived here since the founding of Chiang Mai. Their notions of duty, beliefs and rituals play an important role that still influence the modern society. Other fun-to-read stories provided in this area are native legends of Chiang Mai and a process of applying the legends to analyze certain related topics such as the origin of race, as well as a cultural fusion that played a crucial part
in the establishment of Chiang Mai.

Providing historical information about the founding of Chiang Mai City, from the early age to the golden age,that includes ancient law of King Mangrai, Buddhism, the development of Lanna alphabets, language and literatures, trading strategies and trade routes in Chiang Mai.

Traveling back in time to a period when Chiang Mai was under Burmese control for over two centuries. Battles and diversity in lifestyle created a cultural fusion that can be found in the architectures, language, cuisine, wardrobe,etc.

Information provided here is the condition of Chiang Mai City post Burmese control, the utilization of manpower to rehabilitate the city, roles of the rulers in the lives of citizens, transformation into a subordinate state of Siamese Kingdom as well as the expansion of prosperity that could be seen from railway construction to other modern transportation.

Providing historical information about the role of the city as a subordinate state, trades in forest products and relation with foreign capitalists, conflict with missionaries, evolution of the governing system, which was an abolition of the subordinate state while promoting aprovincial administration system called Monthon Lao Chiang and Monthon Thesaphiban. Eventually after the administrative reform of the government in Bangkok, Chiang Mai became a province as part of the Kingdom of Siam.

Learning interesting facts about evidence found at two archaeological excavation sites, and exploring the discovery of ancient walls in the area of Chiang Mai Historical Centre. The ancient walls were found in the second cultural layers of soil (Presumably, they were built in the Rattanakosin Era) and believed to be a part of Wat Phra Kaew or the Temple of the Emerald Buddha, in the old days. The temple, which was in fact a royal chapel within the grounds of the royal palace, was constructed in accordance with ancient tradition of the central region of Thailand.

Chiang Mai City and Community Engagement Centre is a public space, opened to everyone, is a local learning centre fornews, history, arts and cultures, social studies, and issues on environment and conservation, making all kinds of knowledge and information readily available to its users.