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Mae Hong Son or the Land of
Three Mists is located in the northwesternmost
part of Thailand, bordering Chiang Mai in
the east, Tak in the south, and the Union
of Myanmar in the west and north. It has an
area of 12,681 sq km and a population of 236,993
(end 2001). The climate is cool all year round.
It is known as the land of three mists because
it is shrouded in mist most of the time in
the whole year, no matter whether it is the
hot, rainy or cool season.
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A Padaung
woman
wearing brass rings
round her neck
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Until the early 19th century,
the whole region was only inhabited seasonally
by small numbers of Shan people from the Burmese
border, who moved from place to place without
permanent dwellings. Then, around 1831, in the
reign of King Rama III, the King of Chiang Mai
sent one of his governors named Chao Kaeo to
the western jungles to catch wild elephants.
It was only then that the widely scattered Shan
tribesmen were organized into two villages.
One of them was called Mae Rong Son, meaning
the village with a stream for training elephants.
The name was later changed to Mae Hong Son and
became the name of the province.
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The population
of the province consists mainly of Shans (who
call themselves Thai Yai) and Lanna (i.e. northern)
Thais.
It also includes some Karens, Mountain Thais,
Hmongs, Luas, Lahus and Lisus. Among these, the
Padaung tribe (a branch of Karens) is most amazing,
for the women of the tribe have a tradition of
wearing numerous brass rings round their necks,
as well as their wrists and ankles, making their
necks look exceptionally long, just like some
African women. |
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Mae Hong Son surrounded
by high mountains
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| Mae Hong Son has
several tourist attractions, both natural and
cultural. Being mountainous, the province has
many waterfalls and caves. Some interesting ones
are: Mae Surin Falls National Park The
waterfall is about 100 m high. |
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Wat
Chong Klang and Wat Chong Kham,
two famous temples built
in Burmese styles.
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| It is probably
the highest waterfall of Thailand and is considered
one of the most beautiful in the country. Phasua
Falls, located in the Phasua Forest Park,
is large and always full of water. The luxuriant
mountain forests and the peaceful surroundings
attract a large number of tourists to visit there
every day. |
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Wat Phra
That Doi Kongmu
contains a relic of the Buddha.
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| Caves in the province
are also worth visiting. Of these, two are prominent
-- Tham Lot and Tham Pla. Tham Lot is a
large cave about 20 m wide and 50 m high, full
of stalagmites and stalactites. One cannot walk
through the entire length of the cave (about 1
km) without a lamp because the cave is very dark
inside. There was a discovery of some ancient
utensils around 2,000 years ago in the cave. Tham
Pla or Fish cave is so called because the
stream inside the cave, which is only 2 m wide
and 1.5 m deep, is full of big fishes all year
round. They never go elsewhere, though there is
nothing to stop them from swimming up or down
the stream |
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Mexican sunflower
fields
at Doi Mae U-Kho
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| And nobody dares
to harm them, because people believe that they
belong to the god of mountains and forests. |
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Thung
Buatong is a place you should never miss.
If you travel from Chiang Mai to Mae Hong Son
by Highway 108 in the period from November to
December, about one hour after passing Khunyuam
county, you will be fascinated to see a sea of
golden Mexican sunflowers (Tithonia Diversifolia)
blooming along both sides of the road over the
rolling hills for miles.
These wild flowers, called Buatong in the
northern dialect, look exactly like sunflowers
but are much smaller. There is a lesser Thung
Buatong in Mae Sariang county, also along Highway
108.
Apart from natural attractions, cultural attractions
are abundant in Mae Hong Son. Wat Phrathat
Doi Kongmu on the top of Doi Kongmu Hill only
3 km to the west of the provincial town contains
a relic of the Buddha and comprises two pagodas
of Shan style. The temple is considered the holiest
wat of Mae Hong Son. It takes only a few minutes
to go by car to the hilltop, from which you can
have a panoramic view of the town and its beautiful
surroundings. Wat Hua Wiang or Wat Klang Wiang
contains a crowned Buddha image which is the
most highly treasured image of the province. |
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Poi Sang
Long -- the novice
ordination ceremony held
annually by Thai Yai people.
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But
it is a replica of the original image which is
enshrined in Mandalay, Myanmar. Wat Chong Kham
was built in Shan style. The roof of the temple
is in the shape of a castle because it was believed
that a castle is a sacred place, whose resident
must be a king or representative of a religion.
Located beside Wat Chong Kham,Wat Chong Klang
is also worthy of visiting for it houses 33 wooden
dolls from the story of the Last Incarnation of
the Lord Buddha, carved by Burmese artisans and
also paintings on mirror which are admired for
their beauty.
Those are some of the natural and cultural attractions
in Mae Hong Son. |
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King Kala
is a traditional folk
dance of Mae Hong Son.
The costumes are very beautiful.
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But
if you are an adventure-lover and want to touch
the really wonderful natural environment, rafting
along Pai River would be your excellent choice.
The Pai River is the largest and longest
river in Mae Hong Son with a length of 180 km.
The most suitable time for rafting is between
October and March when there is no rain and the
water level is high. Another exciting thing to
do is to go into the jungle on elephant back.
You would be impressed with the unforgettable
trip.
In addition to the above, you can also join colourful
festivals in Mae Hong Son. Buatong Blossom
Festival is held at Khunyuam county from November
to December yearly. The Buatong will blossom magnificently
around Doi Mae U-Kho. There are many forms of
entertainment, a Miss Buatong contest and some
other activities during the festival too. Loi
Krathong Festival on the full moon day of
November is held every year in the province. Not
only are krathong floated on the water, but they
are tied to a balloon and launched into the sky,
too. These candle-lit are called krathong sawan
or heavenly krathong. Poi Sang Long or Novice
Ordination Ceremony Traditionally, Thai Yai
people believed that they would gain much merit
from being ordained as a novice or organizing
such a ceremony, so a group ordination ceremony
is held majestically in April every year. The
boys who prepare themselves to be novices will
have their heads shaven, wear beautifully decorated
garments and put on valuable jewellery. They will
ride horses to lead a procession to the temple,
followed by their relatives and neighbours who
dance to the music of a band, making the ceremony
highly joyous and colourful.
That is not all. There are many other interesting
things waiting for you in Mae Hong Son. In short,
Mae Hong Son is a land of natural wonders and
exotic things. If you plan to go there from Bangkok,
we recommend that you should go by plane, because
Mae Hong Son is 924 km from Bangkok by road and
the highways in Mae Hong Son are among the most
zigzag in this country. It is recorded that the
349 km-long Highway 108 leading from Chiang Mai
to Mae Hong Son has a total of 1,864 sharp curves.
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Wat Hua Wiang:
A replica of
a graceful crowned Buddha image
in Burmese style is enshrined here.
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But since there is no direct flight from Bangkok
to Mae Hong Son, you have to take a daily flight
from Bangkok to Chiang Mai (1.10 hr). From there,
you have two choices to reach Mae Hong Son --
by plane (35 mins) or by bus (4-5 hrs). If you
choose the latter in order to view the beautiful
scenery along the way, you may take either --
Highway 108 or Highway 1095. Both are scenic and
mountainous. There is also a direct bus from Bangkok's
Northern Bus Terminal to Mae Hong Son taking about
17 hours on your service. |
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