Thailand’s Northern Star

You can’t get much further north in Northern Thailand than Chiang Rai. In fact, the former capital of the Mangrai Dynasty was founded in the mid-13th Century and wasn’t always part of Thailand. The city on the banks of the Mae Kok River (a tributary of the Mekong) was ruled by Burma for many years and only became a proper part of Siam (Thailand) less than 100 years ago.

Chiang Rai is, unsurprisingly, one of the most ethnically diverse regions of Thailand and is populated by hill tribe people such as the Karen, Akha, Lisu, Meo and Hmong. More recently, Chinese immigrants have also made this idyllic location home.

One of the most famous legends from Chiang Rai is the story of the Emerald Buddha. Currently housed in its namesake temple on the grounds of the Grand Palace in Bangkok, the mysterious idol has only resided in the modern capital for a little more than two centuries, having been set in place in the Wat Phra Si Rattana Satsadaram in 1784.

The legend begins more than 2,000 years ago in ancient India where the exquisite, 760mm tall figurine was fashioned. After a tortuous journey through Sri Lanka, Cambodia and Laos, it was reputedly hidden away inside the walls of a temple in Chiang Rai until an earthquake revealed its hiding place in 1434. Because it was green and its discoverers were likely overtaken with excitement, the Buddha was declared to be of emerald. It is actually made of the substantially less valuable material…green jasper. Nonetheless, the much revered statue was liberated and continued its divine journey.