In Lamphun and loving it

LAMPHUN, THE OLDEST province in northern Thailand, has long been ignored by visitors who have tended to treat it as little more than a passageway between Lampang and Chiang Mai. 

Today, the area that was once known as Hariphunchai and was the northernmost city of the Mon kingdom during the Dvaravati period, is becoming a destination in its own right. For that, it can thank the Tourism Authority of Thailand, which is promoting the province as one of the must-see destinations in its 2016 domestic tourism campaigns “12 Hidden Gems Plus” and “Khao Lao Wa”.

 The “12 Hidden Gems Plus” campaign follows on from the success of the “Hidden Gems” initiative introduced last year, which did much to generate income for the people of Thailand’s smaller and less frequented provinces. The “Khao Lao Wa” campaign, which falls under the TAT’s “Dream Destinations” project, is now in its third year and has much the same aims.

“In 2015, we welcomed 500,000 visitors, which was more than double the figure for 2014. Eighty per cent of those tourists were Thai with the remainder coming from South Korea, China, Taiwan, and Vietnam and eager to play on our golf courses,” says Ampai Chaipijitr of Lamphun’s Tourism Council. “We have much more to offer than golf though, including great food, a relaxed way of life and plenty of home-stay accommodation.” 

Lampang and Lamphun can both trace their histories back to Dvaravati era. Lampang became part of the Mon Hariphunchai Kingdom in the seventh century, when the Mon ruler of Lavo Kingdom sent his daughter Chamthewi to become its first queen. Later, the queen gave birth to twins; one became the ruler of Lamphun and the other the ruler of Lampang.

 Located less than 30 kilometres from Chiang Mai, Lamphun’s provincial seat is home to Wat Phra That Hariphunchai, one of Thailand’s most important temples. It boasts a golden chedi that stands 46 metres tall and contains a hair of the Lord Buddha. It dates back to the ninth century.

Other important Lamphun landmarks include the Queen Chamthewi Monument near Nong Dok Public Park and Wat Chamthewi, which was constructed in the Lavo style and whose chedi has a square structure similar to Buddhagaya in India. Wat Mahawan is another temple with a long history, dating back to the reign of Queen Chamthewi and enshrined by a Nak Prok statue, which served as the model for Lamphun’s famous votive tablet, known as Phra Rot Lamphun.

Getting around Lamphun is relatively easy thanks to the introduction of a tourist tram that stops at Wat Phra Yuen, home to a spectacular Bagan-style stupa with four large, gold-leaf covered standing Buddha images, and Ku Chang-Ku Mah in the northeast of the old town, a cylinder-shaped chedi that commemorates Queen Chamthewi’s war elephant and her son’s steed and is believed to contain their remains.

“Ku Chang-Ku Mah is considered a sacred landmark. Tourists come here to worship and pray to Queen Chamthewi’s war elephant. In ancient times, worshippers would offer sugarcane, banana and coconut in addition to a boiled pig head and rice whiskey in return for their prayers being answered,” Ampai explains.

The area outside the city also has much to offer the visitor. Attractions include the Kruba Srivichai Museum in Li District, which houses all the belongings of one of the most revered monks of the Lanna Kingdom, the Sri Vieng Chai Chedi of Wat Phra Bat Huai Tom in Ban Hong district and the Ban Tha Chomphu bridge, also known as the white bridge, which once carried trains over the Mae Tha River.

“The Tha Chomphu bridge is the same age as Lampang’s Ratchada-pisek bridge,” says Ampai. “But Tha Chomphu Bridge offers truly spectacular scenery and there’s also a community that offers home-stays next to the old railway tunnel that runs through Doi Khun Tan National Park. We are connected to both Lampang and Chiang Mai by a local railway line, which covers 80 kilometres. And we are also using the station to highlight our unique local dishes, such as kai tha chomphu (steamed chicken with pink turmeric), which is served with namprik krapi (shrimp paste sauce) and sticky rice.

“The response from tourists has been very positive. A few years ago the only visitors who took the local train were students who wanted to camp in Doi Khun Tan National Park,” she continues.

One of the biggest draws in recent months has been the Institute of Hariphunchai Hand-woven Fabric, which is promoting yok dok silk as its champion product.

 “Our silk was the first to be registered for a geographical indication in 2006,” explains Nichada Suriyacharearn, chief of the Lamphun Provincial Administrative Organisation and the institute’s director.

“That registration protects our intellectual property rights and serves as a marketing channel to guarantee the quality of products. We are also the first to introduce the QE Code that allows mobile phone users to scan the silk and see the names and faces of the weavers and the shop’s name.”

Both Lamphun and Chiang Mai have been proposed to Unesco for World Heritage Site status and even though no definitive answer has been received, the small province is busy developing its oldest sites.

“Lamphun is the first land of Lanna,” Ampai says. “In the meantime we are working on a project that will tell the story of our community and locality and hope to introduce this next year.”