Nan (; , ) is a town in

northern Thailand Northern Thailand, or more specifically Lanna, is a region of Thailand. It is geographically characterized by several mountain ranges, which continue from the Shan Hills in bordering Myanmar to Laos, and the river valleys that cut through them. ...

. It is north of

Bangkok Bangkok, officially known in Thai language, Thai as Krung Thep Maha Nakhon and colloquially as Krung Thep, is the capital and most populous city of Thailand. The city occupies in the Chao Phraya River delta in central Thailand and has an estim ...

. It is in the centre of Nan province which bears its name, and of which it is the former administrative capital. It covers ''tambon'' Nai Wiang and parts of ''tambon'' Pha Sing of Mueang Nan district, an area of divided into 30 '' chumchon''. In 2010 it had a population of 21,333 spread along the Nan River's right bank. Nan is a small city, primarily devoted to commercial, administrative, educational, and hospital activities. The old heart of the city, where Wat Phumin, the national museum and other tourist attractions are found, is being restored.

History

Nan for centuries was a separate, autonomous kingdom with few relationships with the outside world. There is evidence of prehistoric habitation, but it wasn't until several small ''mueang'' united to form ''Nanthaburi'' on the Nan River in the mid-14th century, contemporaneously with the creation of

Luang Prabang Luang Prabang (Lao language, Lao: wikt:ຫຼວງພະບາງ, ຫຼວງພະບາງ, pronounced ), historically known as Xieng Thong (ຊຽງທອງ) and alternatively spelled Luang Phabang or Louangphabang, is the capital of Lu ...

and the

Lan Xang Lan Xang () or Lancang was a Lao people, Lao kingdom that held the area of present-day Laos from 1353 to 1707. For three and a half centuries, Lan Xang was one of the largest kingdoms in Southeast Asia. The kingdom is the basis for Laos's nat ...

(Million Elephants) kingdom in

Laos Laos, officially the Lao People's Democratic Republic (LPDR), is the only landlocked country in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by Myanmar and China to the northwest, Vietnam to the east, Cambodia to the southeast, and Thailand to the west and ...

, that the city became notable. Associated with the

Sukhothai Kingdom The Sukhothai Kingdom was a post-classical Siamese kingdom (Mandala (political model), ''maṇḍala'') in Mainland Southeast Asia surrounding the ancient capital city of Sukhothai Historical Park, Sukhothai in present-day north-central Thaila ...

, the ''mueang'' took the title ''Wara Nakhon'' and played a significant part in the development of early Thai nationalism. By the end of the 14th century Nan was one of the nine northern Thai-Lao principalities that formed

Lanna The Lan Na kingdom or the Kingdom of Lanna (, , "Kingdom of a Million Rice Fields"; , , ), also known as Lannathai, was an Indianized state centered in present-day Northern Thailand from the 13th to the 18th centuries. The cultural developme ...

. The city-state flourished throughout the 15th century under the name ''Chiang Klang'' ('middle city'), a reference to its position roughly midway between

Chiang Mai Chiang Mai, sometimes written as Chiengmai or Chiangmai, is the largest city in northern Thailand, the capital of Chiang Mai province and the List of municipalities in Thailand#Largest cities by urban population, second largest city in Thailan ...

('new city') and Chiang Thong ('golden city'), today's

). The Burmese took control of the kingdom in 1558 and deported many of the inhabitants to

Burma Myanmar, officially the Republic of the Union of Myanmar; and also referred to as Burma (the official English name until 1989), is a country in northwest Southeast Asia. It is the largest country by area in Mainland Southeast Asia and ha ...

as slaves; the city was deserted until northern Thailand was retaken from the Burmese in 1786. The local dynasty then regained local sovereignty and it remained semi-autonomous until 1931 when Nan finally accepted full

dominion. Part of its territory had been annexed to Laos by the French in the late-19th century. Parts of the old city wall and several early

wat A wat (, ; , ; , ; ; , ) is a type of Buddhist and Hindu temple in Cambodia, Laos, East Shan State (Myanmar), Yunnan (China), the Southern Province of Sri Lanka, and Thailand. Etymology The word ''wat'' is borrowed from the Sanskrit ''v ...

s dating from the Lanna period can be seen in contemporary Nan. The city's wats are distinctive; some temple structures show

influence, while others belong to the Thai Lue legacy brought from

Xishuangbanna Xishuangbanna, sometimes shortened to Banna, is one of the eight autonomous prefectures of Yunnan Province. The autonomous prefecture for Dai people is in the extreme south of Yunnan province, China, bordering both Myanmar and Laos. Xishuangbanna ...

China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. With population of China, a population exceeding 1.4 billion, it is the list of countries by population (United Nations), second-most populous country after ...

, where the Thai Lue people originated.

Climate

Culture

Wat Phumin is the city's most well-known wat. It is located near the Nan National Museum. The fifteenth century Wat Phra That Khao Noi overlooks the city and the golden Phra Buddha Maha Udom Mongkhon Nanthaburi, Sri Nan is enshrined there. The city has a lak muang (city pillar), Wat Ming Mueang, at the center of the city.

Gallery

File:Wat Phra That Khao Noi.jpg, The standing Buddha of Wat Phra That Khao Noi overlooks Nan File:CFHouse2.jpg, Chao Fongkham House balcony File:2013 Wat Phumin Nan.jpg, Wat Phumin File:Peinture murale Wat Phumin, Nan.JPG, Murals of Wat Phumin File:Wat Phra That Chang Kham, Nan.jpg, Wat Phra That Chang Kham File:Nan wat chang kham.jpg, Gilded elephant heads of the chedi, Wat Phra That Chang Kham File:Wat Phaya Wat 2014 g.jpg, Hariphunchai-style chedi, Wat Phaya Wat

References

External links