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35-518: Chae Son National Park is located 75 kilometres (47 mi) north of Lampang town in Mueang Pan and Chae Hom districts. The park's area is 480,000 rai ~ 768 square kilometres (297 sq mi). Park mountains form part of the Khun Tan Range and are an important water source for the surrounding area. In places the park reaches elevations of 2,000 metres (6,600 ft). Originally

70-956: A Forest Park, on 28 July 1988 Chae Son was designated Thailand's 58th National Park. The park's main attraction is Chae Son Waterfall, a six-tiered waterfall 150 metres (490 ft) in height. Mae Peak is a three-tiered waterfall 100 metres (330 ft) in height. Other waterfalls include Mae Koon, also 100 metres (330 ft), and Mae Mawn. Chae Son hot spring is an area of sulfurous pools from nine boreholes emitting waters at temperatures around 73 °C (163 °F). The park also has numerous cave systems including Pha-ngam, Mor, Luang and Loug Kae. The park's forests are mixed deciduous and deciduous dipterocarp . Tree species include Afzelia xylocarpa , Chukrasia velutina , Toona ciliata , Diospyros , Lagerstroemia calyculata , Dipterocarpus alatus , Dipterocarpus obtusifolius , Pinus latteri , Pinus kesiya , Pterocarpus macrocarpus , Shorea obtusa and Shorea siamensis . Animals in

105-454: A branch of Thammasat University . The main hospital of Lampang is Lampang Hospital , operated by the Ministry of Public Health . The city is an important highway hub, with a four lane highway link to Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai , as well as a major highway to Phrae and the eastern Lanna provinces. Lampang is roughly a 1.5 hour bus ride to Chiang Mai . Nakhon Lampang railway station is

140-580: A relative rain shadow, Lampang receives less precipitation than neighboring provinces and rarely suffers from the flooding which has plagued Chiang Mai in recent years. Besides the traditional rice paddy farming, pineapple, and sugarcane constitute major food crops in Lampang Province. The province has a large deposit of lignite in Mae Moh district, fuelling several coal-fired electricity generating plants, whose pollution has severely affected

175-773: A stop for the Chiang Mai-bound train, approximately 10 hours from Bangkok. Lampang Airport is served by Bangkok Airways (three flights daily to Suvarnabhumi Airport ) and Nok air (four flights daily to Don Mueang ) (Oct 2015). Tourists typically stop by for lunch and visit the more famous attractions such as Wat Phra That Lampang Luang and the Thai Elephant Conservation Center and then proceed to points further north such as Chiang Mai or Chiang Rai. Less well-known tourist attractions in Lampang are thus mostly visited by locals. Among these are

210-534: Is the third largest city in northern Thailand and capital of Lampang province and the Mueang Lampang district . Traditional names for Lampang include Wiang Lakon and Khelang Nakhon. The city is a trading and transportation center. Lampang lies 601 km (373 mi) north of Bangkok and 101 km (63 mi) southeast of Chiang Mai. Lampang city is in the valley of the Wang River , bordered by

245-586: The Khun Tan Range on the west and the Phi Pan Nam Range on the east. The river, a major tributary of the Chao Phraya , flows through the city. The city lies mainly on the south side of Wang River, although the old parts of the city had been originally developed in the north side of it. Nowadays, downtown Lampang has grown in the southeast of the river along Bunyawat and Pahon Yothin Roads. Lampang

280-456: The Pyu period . Ava was the first Burmese city to be entirely walled, with an inner citadel and an outer civilian city. Ava's citadel is probably the only barrel shaped city in the world. According to legend the outline of the city walls was intended to replicate the appearance of a mythical Burmese Lion, a Chinthe . What is certain is that Ava, or at least its inner citadel, is designed to replicate

315-673: The kings of Pagan . Scholars debate that the Shan ethnicity of Avan kings comes from mistranslation, particularly from a record of the Avan kings' ancestors ruling a Shan village in central Burma prior to their rise or prominence. The kingdom was founded by Thado Minbya in 1364 following the collapse of the Sagaing and Pinya Kingdoms due to raids by the Shan States to the north. In its first years of existence, Ava, which viewed itself as

350-568: The Buddhist universe in miniature. The palace was constructed in the very centre of the citadel, which according to traditional principles of Burmese city design, corresponds to the location of the Buddha, therefore directly associating the King with the Buddha himself. This conferred upon the King a divine status and the palace as a religious centrepiece. The palace was specifically designed to emulate

385-609: The English, Thai, and Chinese languages. Lampang also has a number of universities: Lampang Rajabhat University, Rajmangala University of Technology, Nation University (formerly Yonok) and a satellite campus of Thammasat University. Lampang College of Commerce and Technology (LCCT) and Lampang International Technical College (LIT) are well known schools which teach technology. Ava Kingdom The Ava Kingdom ( Burmese : အင်းဝပြည် , pronounced [ʔɪ́ɰ̃wa̰ kʰɪʔ] ; INN-wa pyi) also known as Inwa Kingdom or Kingdom of Ava

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420-611: The Ko Kha District. Mae Mo mine is a vast open pit lignite mine in the Mae Mo basin. The mine and the adjoining power generation facilities are operated by EGAT . The power plant is a major source of electric power for Thailand. Lampang is known for its horse-drawn carriages , which were introduced in 1916 and remain popular with tourists. Lampang has a number of educational institutions, including kindergartens, primary, secondary and vocational schools. Schools teach in

455-532: The Ratsadaphisek Bridge to disrupt Japanese operations. Lampang has a relatively dry climate relative to nearby provinces. "Winter" starts after the last rains, typically November, and lasts until March. Cold air masses from Siberia sometimes lead to nighttime temperatures below 10 °C (50 °F), although that is quite rare. Winter is characterized by dry, sunny, and quite pleasant days, and cool and occasionally foggy nights. In recent times,

490-551: The Taungoo dynasty conquered Ava, ending the city's role as the capital of Upper Burma for nearly two centuries. Thado Minbya founded the city of Ava (modern day Inwa) and consecrated it as Ratanapura, the City of Gems, which was to remain the capital of Myanmar more or less continuously until the mid 19th century. The city was designed according to the traditional principles of Burmese city design, which had existed since at least

525-767: The Wang Kaeo Waterfall and the Chae Son National Park , a compact park which combines a natural hot spring with large waterfalls. Many temples in downtown Lampang were built in the Burmese -style, originally endowed by the logging tycoons of the late-19th century. Wat Si Bun Rueang , Wat Si Chum and Wat Pa Fang are among the extant examples. Nine of the 31 remaining Burmese-style temples in Thailand are in Lampang. Traditional Lanna architecture can be found at Wat Phra That Lampang Luang , on

560-541: The blue winter sky is often marred by the practice of burning the fields after the harvest, as well as the smog generated by Mae Mo coal-fired power plants . Summer typically runs from March until June. The temperature could soar to 40–43 °C (104–109 °F) in April. Late afternoon thunderstorms and hailstorms are frequent. Rainy season runs from June until November, and significant rain may occur in May as well. Being in

595-553: The city was said to be as pleasant as Tavatimsa , the most important of the Buddhist heavens which also served as the model for the earthly realm of Burmese kingdoms. Swa Saw Ke was known as an intellectual king who encouraged scholarly endeavours and the city was said to be full of intelligent conversation. Ava's most notable legacy was its contribution to Burmese vernacular literature which flourished during this period. Literature moved from being written predominantly in Pali to using

630-597: The defeat of the Shans, however Chao Bunwatwongse, Lampang's ruler, was evacuated to Chiang Mai over fears of another attack but returned to Lampang on August 7. In 1894, the Ratsadaphisek Bridge across the Wang river was opened and became the longest bridge in Thailand at the time. However, the flow of logs down the Wang caused damage to the bridge until the current version was completed in 1917. On 1 April 1916,

665-731: The first train arrived at Nakhon Lampang Railway Station, which was then the northernmost train station in Thailand. During World War II , Lampang became an important location for Japanese operations as the main Japanese headquarters in Thailand, as well as the target of Allied bombings. In 1942, a squadron of P-40 Tomahawks belonging to the American Flying Tigers were supposed to bomb Lampang, but mistook Lamphun for Lampang and returned back after seeing no troop movements in Lamphun. The Allied forces also attempted to bomb

700-549: The highly auspicious Mount Meru in Hindu - Buddhist belief. The kingdom and its power emanated directly from the city as a mandala, encircling the entirety of the world (in theory) and therefore the city was a cosmological centre of a divinely ordained kingdom. During the reign of Swa Saw Ke , a council was convened at Ava which was attended by the King, members of the Sangha , Sinhalese monks, and Brahmins . In one inscription

735-507: The horse-drawn carriage to the Portuguese, via Macau , although a more likely origin is colonial Burma . Lampang was an important center of the timber industry in the early-20th century and saw an influx of migrants from British-controlled Burma. The horse-drawn carriage is one of the most memorable symbols of Lampang, as reflected in many traditional products. Lampang has a few institutions of higher learning, such as Yonok College , and

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770-435: The last holdout of the independent kingdom. The Confederation's failure to snuff out Taungoo proved costly. Surrounded by hostile kingdoms, Taungoo took the initiative to consolidate its position, and defeated a much stronger Hanthawaddy in 1534–1541. When Taungoo turned against Prome, the Shans belatedly sent in their armies. Taungoo took Prome in 1542 and Bagan , just below Ava, in 1544. In January 1555, King Bayinnaung of

805-672: The late 1800s and early 1900s, the region experienced a growth in teak logging. Lampang later became home to Louis Leonowens , who operated teak plantations around Lampang. During the Ngiao Rebellion , Lampang was attacked by 200 Shan rebels led by Phaka Mong on 3 August 1902. Prior to this, the ruler of Lampang assembled a force of 1,000 and Leonowens had organized defences around the town. They were also reinforced by 54 policemen from Chaing Mai led by Danish captain Hans Markvard Jensen. The following battle resulted in

840-559: The late 18th century, the famed marksman and Lampang native Nan Thipchang assassinated the local Burmese leader in Wat Phra That Lampang Luang , and led an uprising which led to a rollback of Burmese rule over Lanna. Allied with Bangkok , the descendants of Nan Thipchang, known as Chao Ched Ton (the seven princes), became the vassal rulers of the various Lanna cities until the annexation of Lanna into Siam (Thailand) proper under King Chulalongkorn (Rama V). During

875-530: The local populations. Lampang also has a large deposit of kaolin which is widely utilized in the ceramics industry. Historically, logging was an important industry, since Lampang, together with nearby Phrae had a large stand of teak . Many elephants were employed to transport the logs to the river for transport to Bangkok, hence the founding of an "elephant school", the predecessor of the Thai Elephant Conservation Center. Much of

910-544: The old growth teak stands in Lampang had been thoroughly harvested. Lampang, also called "mueang rot ma" in Thai, meaning "horse carriage city", is considered by some Thais as the last paradise in Thailand. It is about 100 km (62 mi) to the southeast of Chiang Mai . Although well-connected by rail, and four lane highways to both Bangkok and Chiang Mai, it is here that tourists can still find horse-drawn carriages in regular use for transportation. One account attributes

945-686: The park include Phayre's leaf monkey , sambar deer , Asian golden cat , Southwest China serow , northern red muntjac ( Muntiacus muntjak vaginalis ), chevrotain , Siamese hare , Sunda flying lemur , Malayan porcupine , Finlayson's squirrel , wild boar and northern treeshrew . Bird life in Chae Son includes white-rumped shama , red junglefowl , woodpecker , bulbul , barbet , tailorbird , green pigeon , warbler , babbler and dove . Lampang Lampang , also called Nakhon Lampang ( Thai : นครลำปาง , pronounced [náʔkʰɔːn lampaːŋ] ) to differentiate from Lampang province ,

980-570: The rest. The Forty Years' War (1385–1424) with Hanthawaddy left Ava exhausted. From the 1420s to early 1480s, Ava regularly faced rebellions in its vassal regions whenever a new king came to power. In the 1480s and 1490s, the Prome Kingdom in the south and the Shan states that were under the sway of Ava in the north had broken away, and the Taungoo dynasty became as powerful as its nominal overlord Ava. In 1510, Taungoo also broke away. Ava

1015-615: The rightful successor to the Pagan Kingdom, tried to reassemble the former empire by waging constant wars against the Mon Hanthawaddy Kingdom in the south, the Shan States in the north and east, and Rakhine State in the west. While it was able to hold Taungoo and some peripheral Shan States ( Kalaymyo , Mohnyin , Mogaung and Hsipaw ) within its fold at the peak of its power, Ava failed to reconquer

1050-583: The site of ancient Lampang city. It is famous for its murals from the 19th century. The city seal features a white rooster in the temple's gate. Wat Phra Kaeo Don Tao , on the west bank of the Wang River, is said to have housed the Emerald Buddha between 1436 and 1468. Wat Phra That Chedi Sao (The Temple of Twenty Chedis) is famous for its array of twenty pagodas. Other temples of some renown include Wat Phra That Chom Ping and Wat Lai Hin both in

1085-526: The vernacular Burmese language . Ava was a highly literate society with poetry being composed by people from all levels of society, such as a village headman of Palaung in 1355, who inscribed verse onto stone. Inscriptions in classical Burmese during both the Bagan and Ava periods written by commoners and nobles appear at a ratio of 3:1 in favour of the commoners. Elaborate use of simile, metaphor, and other literary devices abound in Burmese verse, especially in

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1120-553: The works of Shin Maharattathara. One of these works rejects the comforts of marriage and secular life for that of a forest ascetic. The following is a translation by Dr. Hla Pe, John Okell, and Anna Allott: The maiden I marry shall be a forest dwelling, one that befits a hermit, far from the approach of men; she will tend to all my needs and will always keep me fed, with forest fruits for rice, and forest fruits for curry. I shall have Wisdom for my washing-water, for it cleanses

1155-533: Was a major city in the Lanna kingdom. However, its historical prominence is largely overshadowed by Chiang Mai or Chiang Rai which were the traditional seats of government, and whose histories were well recorded in chronicles. Following decades of warfare with both the Ava Burmese and Ayudhya during the 17th-18th century, the region was in decline, severely depopulated, and subject to Burmese control. In

1190-475: Was the dominant kingdom that ruled upper Burma ( Myanmar ) from 1365 to 1555. Founded in 1365, the kingdom was the successor state to the petty kingdoms of Myinsaing , Pinya and Sagaing that had ruled central Burma since the collapse of the Pagan Kingdom in the late 13th century. Like the small kingdoms that preceded it, Ava may have been led by Bamarised Shan kings who claimed descent from

1225-651: Was under intensified Shan raids for the first quarter of the 16th century. In 1527, the Confederation of Shan States , led by the state of Mohnyin in alliance with Prome, sacked Ava. The Confederation placed nominal kings on the Ava throne and ruled much of Upper Burma. As Prome was in alliance with the Confederation, only the tiny Taungoo in the southeastern corner, east of the Bago Yoma mountain range remained as

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