ABOUT CHIANG MAI & “YEE PENG” LOY KRATHONG FESTIVAL Chiang Mai (New City) was founded as the capital of the Lanna Kingdom (Kingdom of the Million Rice Fields) at the end of the 13th century. This extremely fertile and therefore rich kingdom extended all over Northern Thailand, but included areas that are now in neighboring countries Laos, Myanmar and even China. The Lanna kingdom bordered on Siam in the south, Burma in west, the Khmer Empire of Angkor (now Cambodia) to the east, and Lan Xan (Million Elephants, Laos) and China in the North. Naturally, wars were common between these kingdoms and capturing the capital often meant victory. The capitals were therefore moved frequently to get to safer, better protected locations. The Lanna Kingdom had prior capitals in Fang, Chiang Saen, Lamphun and finally, Wiang Kum Kam, only 5 kilometers south-east of present Chiang Mai. Wiang Kum Kam was established in 1281 but only 13 years later was destroyed by the Ping River swelling over its banks. The city was overgrown and lay hidden for almost 700 years, only to be rediscovered in 1984. It's now a hardly-visited tourist attraction that is very atmospheric and beautiful, especially its impressive Wat Chedi Liam temple. With Wiang Kum Kam abandoned, Chiang Mai was established at its ideal location in a fertile central valley of the region, protected by a high mountain to the west and a river to the east. The place was supposedly chosen by Lanna's ruler King Mengrai himself. The city was fortified with solid city walls and many brick and wooden buildings and temples were erected over the next few hundred years. Chiang Mai quickly became a major trading post between southern China and the closest seaports in Burma. This prominence made Chiang Mai a prized target of attacks by neighboring armies.