Thailand's Nan Province and Nan Town
Get Away From Other Tourists in the Far Northern Hills
Mar 24, 2009
The far northern province of Nan may be the Thailand’s last great undiscovered tourist territory. It has lovely mountain scenery lining a lush valley; the full complement of hill tribes; at least four temple styles; and one of Thailand's newest national parks. The shy but friendly residents still are puzzled why foreigners have come to visit, but they have yet to come up with any tourist scams.
There’s no mystery why foreigners were barred from Nan province for so long. From the 1960s through the 1980s, this was a stronghold of communist insurgents, who filtered back and forth along the long border with Laos. Read this article for more on Nan's tangled history.
National Museum in Nan
With its cement-block and egg-carton architecture, Nan Town (population 24,000) initially seems to be yet another nondescript upcountry town. Stroll or ride a bike beyond the downtown area, however, and discover plenty of old wooden houses, which come in three upraised styles. There are exhibits of these styles at the local branch of the National Museum, which should be a first stop of any tour. Built in 1903, this airy mansion also provides good introductions to Nan’s tribes, textiles, crafts and history. There is a black elephant tusk too.
Next to the museum is Wat Hua Khuang with a wooden verandah in the Luang Phrabang (that is, northern Lao) style. Although it’s often closed, visitors may be lucky to catch the weekend painter who for years has been restoring the murals.
Best Craft Shop
Several downtown shops sell local crafts, but the best is run by the Thai Payap Development Association on 24 Jettaboot Road. Since this co-operative exports to North America and Europe, the quality of shawls, appliqués, weavings and rugs is far superior to the usual Chiang Mai produce.
The crafts are made by Hmong, Mien, Htin and Khmu hill tribe people. Members of the latter two tribes, little known among Thais, are very shy and make fine basketry. Most fled from Laos during the war years of the 1960s and 1970s or in the mass exodus that followed the communist takeover and Vietnamese occupation of Laos. The Tai Lu are represented by their weavings with complex animal motifs.
Nan's Dragon Boat Festival
Its steep layers of roof almost touching the ground, Wat Phra That Chae Haeng is located on a hill about three kilometers southeast of town and across the Nan River--where longboat "dragon boat" races take place during an annual autumn festival. The square gilded chedi is a Lao style.
However, the bot has many Tai Lu influences. For example, note the sweeping, five-layered, wooden roof, the low ceilings and the dog-like dragons guarding the entry. A minority, but not a hill tribe, Tai Lu (also known as Lawa) are ethnic Tai people that immigrated from the turmoil of southern China to Nan about 150 years ago. On the return trip to town, turn left before crossing the river and observe how saa paper is made from mulberry pulp in what looks like a home factory.
Trekking to Tribal Villages
One- to three-day treks can be arranged at one of the few travel agencies in town. Thai and foreign (particularly Australian) adventure travel agencies also run trekking tours in the province. It’s easy, however, to visit tribal and Thai villages while biking or motorcycling the 80 kilometers from Nan town to Doi Phu Kha National Park., named after the highest mountain. There are supposed to be tents to rent here, but it's wise to bring one's own.
Few of these villages have existed for long. During the insurgency, Thai authorities relocated many people to remove them from communist temptations. They were joined by tribal people fleeing Laos. After many years in huge refugee camps, they were dispersed among new villages throughout the province in the 1980s and 1990s.
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
