Thailand Guides - Nan

The tranquil northern city of Nan is 668 kilometres from Bangkok. It has border with Laos on the east side. Nan natives are believed to descend from an ancient kingdom of Lanchang (the present day Laos) more than 700 years ago.

Overview

Nowadays, Nan is home to several hill tribes, particularly Thai Leu, who settle in the mountains. Serenity becomes a main attraction in this province as lives go on at slow pace and locals are largely untouched by modernity. There are a number of northern Thai and Laos style temples where travellers can admire simple yet elegant buildings and religious shrines.

Attractions

In town, Wat Phumin has a unique design unlike other traditional temples in the country. The temple’s main building has four porticos and houses four Buddha statues with their backs against one another facing the four directions. The door panels are intricately carved in traditional northern style. Mural paintings depict the way of life of the locals more than 130 years ago.

Wat Phra That Chae Haeng was built in the 15^th century – the same period as the first Thai kingdom of Sukhothai was established. Located near the Nan River in Nan city, the temple is the quintessence of Laotian architecture of overlapping roofs and tall gilded stupa. Nan National Museum has an impressive collection of exhibits that concerns the history of Nan and the evolution of indigenous arts from different periods.

The verdant mountainous terrain gives Nan two national Parks. Si Nan National Park has a lush forest which the watershed of Nan River - the most important water resource of Nan province. Pha Chu, or Pha Cheot Chu is a cliff that offers a fascinating view of the plain and Nan river. To the north of the city lies the Doi Phu Kha National Park. The park is named after the mountain summit within the park. The terrain consists of forests on limestone mountains, caves, grottos, karsts and waterfalls. It provides a habitat to some rare species of palm trees and flowers such as Caryota and bretscheidera ninesis hemsl. The best time to visit the park is February when all the flowers are in full bloom.