Chiang Mai is one of the most beautiful locales that Thailand has to offer, and features a remarkable array of heritage sites, and has been classified as a UNESCO Creative City as of late 2017.

The Beginning
Chiang was founded by the 25th King of Hiran, but an even older city existed on the site predating Chiang Mai. This city was called Wiang Nopburi, and not much is known about it except that it was ‘sizeable’.
The Birth of a Capital
Sometime around the 1200s, Chiang Mai was made the capital of Lan Na, the Kindom of a Million Rice Fields, and due to its newfound status, the city was fortified by a massive wall, as well as a surrounding moat.

Loss of Prominence
Around the 1500s the Lanna Province lost prominence and the city eventually became integrated into the Thonburi Kingdom but was soon abandoned due to constant attacks from Taungoo Bamar forces.
The 1800s to the Present Day
As time passed, Chiang Mai slowly grew in prominence due to the economy and cultural significance until it became just as prominent as Bangkok. The popularity of Chiang Mai as a heritage destination is so significant that the many a Chiang Mai hotel with examples like Anantara Chiang Mai Resort are thriving.
Roland Lefevre is a travel writer who specializes in creating features on leisure as well as business travel destinations across the globe. Google+