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Chiang Mai Facts & Worksheets

Chiang Mai is the largest city in Northern Thailand. It is the capital of Chiang Mai province and was founded in 1296 as a strategic city close to major trading routes.

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Chiang Mai is the largest city in Northern Thailand. It is the capital of Chiang Mai province and was founded in 1296 as a strategic city close to major trading routes. The city is home to over 300 Buddhist temples and approximately 132,000 people, with close to 1 million people in the metropolitan area.

See the fact file below for more information on the Chiang Mai or alternatively, you can download our 21-page Chiang Mai worksheet pack to utilise within the classroom or home environment.

Key Facts & Information

HISTORY OF CHIANG MAI

  • Chiang Mai was founded in 1296 by Mangrai, the 25th king of Ngoenyang, as the capital of the Lanna Kingdom, which existed between 1296 and 1558.
  • The site Chiang Mai was founded on actually belonged to the Lawa people and was originally called Wiang Nopburi.
  • The city was surrounded by a moat and a defensive wall to keep out the neighboring Bamar people as well as the armies of the Mongol Empire, who had previously conquered most of Yunnan, China (and who were also the largest contiguous land empire in all of history!).
  • Chiang Mai served as the capital of the Lanna Thai kingdom until 1558, when it fell to Myanmar.
  • The city became part of the Thonburi Kingdom in 1775 after an agreement with Chao Kavila was made.
  • Although Chiang Mai was abandoned between 1776 and 1791, it eventually grew in terms of its economic importance and strategic location for trade.
  • In 1800, monumental brick walls were built to surround the inner city as well as expand it south and east.
  • Many temples in Chiang Mai were built by wealthy merchants who emigrated from Burma in the late 19th century.
  • A northern railway was completed to Chiang Mai in 1921 which finally linked northern and central Thailand.
  • In 1933, Chiang Mai formally became a province of Siam.
  • The name Siam was officially changed to Thailand in 1939.
  • Chiang Mai continued to be an important centre for trade, especially crafts, pottery, weaving, and silk goods, but these were replaced by tourist revenue in the 1960s.

GEOGRAPHY OF CHIANG MAI

  • Chiang Mai has a tropical savanna climate with hot, wet temperatures year-round.
  • The air quality has been an issue in Chiang Mai, with air pollution peaking towards the end of the dry season between February and April each year.
  • There are many national parks in Chiang Mai that show off the city’s beautiful mountains, forests, and waterfalls.
  • The Daen Lao Mountain range can be found at the north end of the province, and the Thanon Thong Chai Range includes the highest mountain in Thailand, Doi Inthanon.
  • The city and province are covered with forests, grasslands, and swampy wetlands filled with bamboo, rattan, and palm trees.
  • Some animals you might see in Chiang Mai are water buffalo, oxen, horses, elephants, and some monkey species.

RELIGION AND TEMPLES OF CHIANG MAI

  • Chiang Mai has over 300 Buddhist temples (called “wats” in Thailand), many of which can be seen at the Wat Phra That Doi Suthep, a temple complex which dates from 1383.
  • The temple complex is one of Thailand’s most famous pilgrimage
    sites, at the base of Mount Suthep.
  • Chiang Mai is also home to around 20 Christian churches, the first of which, named “First Church”, was founded in 1868 by the Laos Mission of Rev. Daniel and Mrs. Sophia McGilvray.

CULTURE AND TOURISM IN CHIANG MAI

  • Chiang Mai hosts several festivals each year, including Loi Krathong, which is held on the full moon of the 12th month (which falls in November according to the Western calendar).
  • Loy Krathong involves assembling floating banana-leaf containers (called krathong) and decorating them with flowers and candles; people then place them in the waterways of Chiang Mai as a way to worship the Goddess of Water.
  • Lanterns are also launched into the air during the festival, and are thought to rid the locals of their troubles, and serve as a lovely decoration on the houses and city streets.
  • Other festivals held in Chiang Mai include the Chiang Mai Flower
    Festival, which lasts three days in February, Songkran, which is held
    in mid-April to celebrate the Thai New Year, and the Inthakhin Festival.
  • Chiang Mai is also home to many museums, discovery centers, and
    the oldest zoo in northern Thailand, Chiang Mai Zoo.
  • Tourists have a number of options to get around, including buses, trains, tuk-tuks, and rickshaws.
  • According to the tourist authority in Thailand, Chiang Mai had over 9.1
    million visitors in 2015; this figure is expected to keep growing.
  • Tourism has helped to grow and promote the arts and crafts market in Thailand, as well as boost shopping, agricultural products, and other forms of entertainment.

Chiang Mai Worksheets

This is a fantastic bundle which includes everything you need to know about the Chiang Mai across 21 in-depth pages. These are ready-to-use Chiang Mai worksheets that are perfect for teaching students about the Chiang Mai which is the largest city in Northern Thailand. It is the capital of Chiang Mai province and was founded in 1296 as a strategic city close to major trading routes. The city is home to over 300 Buddhist temples and approximately 132,000 people, with close to 1 million people in the metropolitan area.

Complete List Of Included Worksheets

  • Chiang Mai Facts
  • On The Map
  • Chiang Mai Crossword
  • The Shan Rebellion
  • Design a Stamp
  • Chiang Mai Wordsearch
  • Elephants in Thailand
  • Temple Time!
  • The “Smart City” Initiative
  • See, Think, Wonder
  • Transportation in Thailand

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Link will appear as Chiang Mai Facts & Worksheets: https://kidskonnect.com - KidsKonnect, March 2, 2020

Use With Any Curriculum

These worksheets have been specifically designed for use with any international curriculum. You can use these worksheets as-is, or edit them using Google Slides to make them more specific to your own student ability levels and curriculum standards.

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