Trifecta of Museums!

Angelina and I hopped out at the Three Kings Monument. It is a sculpture of these three Kings; Mengrai, Ramkamhaeng and Ngam Muang, the founding fathers of Chiang Mai. The statue is in the place where the palace used to be. We then began our tours of these three museums; Chiang Mai Art and Culture Hall, Chiang Mai Historical Center and the Lanna Folklife Museum. I learned many interesting facts about Chiang Mai and its´ colorful history. There were three different distinguishing periods of rule; Lanna Kingdom, Burmese and the dominion state of Siam.

Water has played a critical role in the development of this city, two main rivers the Ping and the Nan are the tributaries of the Chao Phraya River. Commerce was carried out using the longboats along the waterways in conjunction with the use of pack animals to trade food and other supplies. The railway was built and then shortly thereafter, flight changed the city once more. The water is used to grow many crops. The major export crops include not only rice and rubber but also maize, cassava, sugarcane, mung beans, tobacco, and sorghum.

I appreciate the weavers, wood carvers and artists. I found the art of mural painting to be intriguing and included the three steps of their process here. Music figures prominently in their culture, here is a depiction in the museum, but later at the Night Bazaar, we heard the live version. We have walked the markets and have witnessed so many creative art forms and are moved by the ingenuity and skill.

We had a very cultural day indeed, and I would say that the first museum was my favorite (Chiang Mai Art and Culture Hall), as it delved into the history of the city and the presentation was well done. It included media, sculpture, a town center depiction and many different displays in various rooms. It is a beautiful old building and is maintained nicely. -Mona

I had a great time learning about the culture, art, history behind Chiang Mai. All of the museums incorporated at least one of these things. The second museum had 2 archaeological sites which were the old walls of the kings property. My favorite museum was the first one because it gave a lot of information and had a lot of cool stuff. For example, this museum showed the 12 temples that went with the Chinese zodiac. I also saw something similar to that with the third museum as well. The first museum was the biggest and my favorite so if you ever get the chance to go to the Three Kings Monument I would recommend it. -Angelina