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When arriving
in Thailand ask for free copies of Thaiways magazine and Thaiways
maps from the information counter at airports or hotels.
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Chiang Saen District Route
110, then 1016
About 60 kilometres from Chiang Rai, Chiang Saen is
a small town on the bank of the Mekong River. The ruins of the earthen
city walls and temples that scattered throughout the town are existing
proofs of the Chiang Saen kingdom and thus are worth visiting especially
for those interested in history.
| Chiang Saen National
Museum |
| The museum, located near the old city
walls, is famous for its invaluable Buddha images and artefacts of
the Chiang Saen Kingdom which flourished in the 11th and 12th centuries. |
Chiang Saen National Museum
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The head of the Lanna art style reclining
Buddha image found at Wat Phranon exhibited beside Chiang Saen National
Museum |
| Admission Fee : 30
baht |
| Open :
09.00-16.00 hrs., except Mondays, Tuesdays and national holidays |
| Wat
Phra That Chedi Luang |
| Located next to the museum, this ancient
temple features the tallest pagoda in Chiang Rai. The 88-metre high
brick pagoda is in the bell shape of the classic Lanna style. |
The pagoda of
Wat Phra That Chedi Luang |
The main vihara (assembly hall)
of Wat Phra That Chedi Luang |
| Wat Pa Sak |
| Located outside the city walls, this temple remains
with ornamental stucco motifs is regarded as one of the most beautiful
examples of Lanna architecture. |
| Wat
Phra That Chom Kitti |
| This temple ruin, situated on a hilltop a few
kilometers north of Wat Pa Sak, has a pagoda containing a Buddha relic.
While on the hilltop, visitors can enjoy a good view of Chiang Saen
and the Mekong River. |
| Chiang Saen
Lake |
| It is located 5 kilometres south of Chiang Saen
along Highway 1016. This one square kilometer lake is a temporary
home for many kinds of water birds during winter (November through
February). Accommodations are available. |
| Golden Triangle
(or Sop Ruak) |
| Located 9 km to the north of Chiang Saen county
is this world-famous place where the borders of Thailand, Myanmar
and Laos meet. |
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| 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. |
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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. |
| The
Hall of Opium, Golden Triangle Park |
Location: 10 km north of Chiang Saen Town (near the Golden Triangle)
in Chiang Rai Province
The entrance |
The Hall of Opium was
established in cooperation by the Mae Fah Luang Foundation and the
Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) with initial funding from the
Japanese Overseas Economic Cooperation Fund. |
The Ministry of Culture of
the People's Republic of China provided technical assistance for the section
on the Opium War.
The Exhibition
Visitors to the 5,600 sq.m. state-of-the-art exhibition will journey through
more than 5,000 years history of the use and abuse of opiates. They will
learn about the origins of the opium poppy, the medical and ritual use
of opium in ancient civilisations, its spread throughout the world, the
Opium Wars and their impact on China, the century of legal opium use in
Thailand, the role of opium and other narcotics in modern medicine, and
international efforts to control narcotics. Vivid and thought provoking
presentations of the effects of drug abuse and case studies help visitors
to understand the severity of addiction and choices available to fight
the temptation of drugs.
The opium den, part of the exhibition |
Shanghai, part of the exhibition |
Photos by courtesy of the Hall of Opium
Opening Hours: 08.30-16.00 hrs. daily except Monday.
Admission fee (per person)
Thais: 200 baht
Foreigners: 300 baht
For more information, please contact Hall of Opium
Tel:+66 (0) 5378 4444 to 6
Fax: +66 (0) 5365 2133
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