The new Lanna Folklife Museum showcases Chiang Mai's glorious past
he white colonial style two-storey building still displays the sign that says "Municipal Court of Chiang Mai", but the interior has been totally renovated to showcase the beauty of centuries-old northern...
Opened last December, the Lanna Folklife Museum is located on a verdant plot of land which once belonged to Chao Inthawarorot Suriyawongse, the 8th ruler of Chiang Mai.
The museum is the brainchild of
Chiang Mai Municipality Mayor Tussanai Buranupakorn whose aims are to revive
Lanna culture, educate the young generation about the North's distinctive
culture and history, as well as make the museum a new tourism attraction in
the old town.
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"Tourism is the main industry
of Chiang Mai. We have our own culture and heritage which need to be
preserved and passed on to next generation," said the mayor.
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Chiang Mai was built as the
capital of the Lanna kingdom in 1296 and was the centre of power in the North
for more than two centuries.
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"Students throughout the
country study the same historical textbooks. But there is local wisdom
inherited from the Lanna kingdom which we do not want to disappear. We want
the new generation to absorb the knowledge while visiting the museum so that
they can learn and understand our northern culture and history by
heart," Tussanai said.
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In the old town of Chiang Mai,
there are at least two other venues that showcase Lanna culture. One is the
long-established Chiang Mai City Arts and Culture Centre, the other is the
Chiang Mai Historical Centre, which opened last December at the same time as
the launch of the Lanna Folklife Museum.
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"The three facilities are
located not far from one another and together they provide valuable
background knowledge about our city," the mayor said.
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The municipality invested about 70
million baht in the Lanna Folklife Museum and another 50 million baht for the
Chiang Mai Historical Centre.
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"We worked with experts as
well as private collectors to make sure what we present benefits your
visit," he said.
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The Lanna Folklife Museum features
18 exhibition rooms related to religion, culture, ways of life and costumes.
The exhibits are presented in a modern format which lets you touch certain
displayed items such as local ingredients or some life-size models. You are
also allowed to take photos inside.
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"The first couple of rooms
are devoted to the architecture of Lanna-style temples and ceremonies and
show the activities of people in a temple. In the past, people's lives were
centred around the wat from birth to death," said a museum guide.
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You can see samples of
northern-style Songkran festival, tung, or northern-style flags which are
used for decoration and various bronze Buddha images. Also displayed are
reproductions of murals of well-known temples in Chiang Mai such as Wat Phra
Sing which has unique paintings telling the story of Sangthong, a Thai folk
tale written by King Rama II. There are also rooms that display pieces from
private collectors, such as old phasin (sarong) that belonged to Chiang
Mai-born Chao Dara Rasmi who was Princess Consort of King Rama V, various
sets of betel containers and utensils of commoners and rulers, fine silver
ornaments and exquisite embroidered works.
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Another highlight is the private
collection of Buddha images. It shows various designs and sizes of Chiang
Saen and Lanna Buddha images which boast some very impressive craftsmanship.
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Each display in the museum has
brief information in both Thai and English. The museum also employs
Chinese-speaking student volunteers to act as guides for Chinese tourists.
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The Lanna Folklife Museum is a
good start for those heading for Chiang Mai. After walking through the
exhibition rooms in this compact museum, you are bound to see the "Rose
of the North" in a different light.
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