This riverside town facing the Mekong River is 30 kilometres
from Mae Chan via Highway No. 1016, predates Chiang Rai and
is famous for a special style of Buddha image.
This petite
museum exhibits local objets díart, including Chiang Saen-style Buddha
images and Lanna Thai artifacts. The museum is open on Wednesdays -
Sundays from 9.00 AM until 4.00 PM, except national holidays.
This ancient
88-metre high brick pagoda, next to the museum, is the tallest religious
monument in Chaing Rai.
Built in 1291,
this temple houses the biggest chedi in Chiang Saen. It is a
bell-shapped chedi with an octagonal base. The main hall and other
surrounding chedis have all fallen in ruins.
Located
outside the city walls, some 200 metres from the Tourist Service Centre,
this deserted temple, with ornamental stucco motifs, is regarded as
being one of the most beautiful examples of Lanna architecture in
northern Thailand.
In 1295,
Prince Saen Phu built this temple to contain Buddha's relics. He
also had 300 teak trees planted in the temple compound.
Wat Pa Sak
sits on 16 acre of land. There are 22 historic remains on the
temple grounds. The main bell-shaped chedi has five tapering
spires.
The chedi at
Wat Pa Sak are considered to be the best physical condition as well as
the most beautiful of Lanna Style. The pattern and design on the
chedi reflect artistic development in Chiang Saen, revealing its
original adoption of Sukhothai, Pagan (Phukam), and Hariphunchai
artistric styles. Through the process of cultural transformation,
a unique Chiang Saen style was realized. It has since become the
prototype of Lanna chedis.
This hilltop temple has a pagoda containing a Buddha relic.
This
temple challenges it visitors to climb up 339 steps in order to admire its
beauty. It is, however, also accessible by car. King Phangkharat
had this shrine built to contain Buddha's relics. In 1487, Muen
Chiang Song had a new pagoda built to cover the old pagoda.
Anothe
pagoda containing Buddha's relics in the area is Phra That Chom Chaeng.
A look-out point behind this pagoda offers a vantage point to enjoy the
Mekong vista.
Located 4
kilometres along the Chaing Saen-Chaing Khong road, this temples hilltop
pagoda offers a spectacular view of the Mekong River and Laos.
Built uniquely
on a big slab of solid rock, Phra That Pha Ngao is a relatively small
bell-shaped pagoda. Another slab of rock stands in front of the
pagoda as though it were the shadow. Thus derived the name
"pha-ngao", meaning the rock shadow.
Initially,
this temple was called Wat Sop Kham. Its former location was by
Mekong River, and the temple was annually eroded by the tides.
Townspeople thus agreed to rebuild the temple further inland by a
deserted temple at the foot of Doi Kham. During the construction,
they found under the base of the old Buddha image a magnificent Chiang
Saen style statuette in subduing mara posture. After half of the
Buddha image was revealed, the excavation was stopped and a prayer has
was built to cover it. The image was called "Luang Pho Pha Ngao".
South of Chaing Saen, along Highway No. 1016 (a 2-kilometre trip from
the Km. 27 marker), this one square kilometre lake hosts migratory
waterfowl during the winter months. Birds are seen at their best and
most plentiful from November through February.
8 kilometres
north of Chaing Saen, this riverside area marks the spot where the
borders of Thailand, Myammar and Laos converge.
This is the
cross-roads of the three-land borders. The Ruak River bordering
Thailand and Myanmar runs into the Mekong River from Laos creating the
well known Golden Triangle. In the old days drug traffickers
secretly met to barter off opium with gold nuggets. Today it is a
bustling tourist destination where visitors come to enjoy the rising sun
emerging from the misty seas of fog.
For an aerial
glimpse of the Golden Triangle, you need to climb uphill to Doi Chiang
Miang by the Mekong River where Wat Phra That Doi Pu Khao once stood.
Only a pile of bricks remains to mark the site, but it provides a
look-out point to catch "the big picture" of the Golden Triangle.
Boats can be hired from Chaing Saen to travel upstream to
the Golden Triangle, and downstream to Chiang Khong. The
trip to the Golden Triangle takes some 30 minutes, the trip
to Chiang Khong about 1 hour and 30 minutes depending on
river currents and water levels.
There are several piers to board a river cruise. A
six-passenger trip can cost about 300-400 Baht A
long-distance cruise. which certainly costs more, can
take you as far as Chiang Kong, Luang Prabang, Sip Song Pan
Na , and even Khunming (South of China).
