Lamphun

Lamphun, the capital of Lamphun Province in northern Thailand, about 670km north of Bangkok and just 25 km south of Chiang Mai. Lamphun lies in the valley of Ping River, surrounded by Thanon Thong Chai Range in the west and Khun Tan Range in the east.

In the 9th century, Lamphun was founded as the capital of the Haripunchai kingdom, the last and most northerly Mon kingdom in the area which now forms Thailand, by Queen Chama Thevi.

Today, Lamphun still maintains its enchanting character of a small but old community where life moves at a leisurely pace. The town is covered by its ancient relics, virgin forests, delightful lakes and verdant mountains. One of the main highlight of Lamphun is its northern Thailand's most important temples, Wat Phra That Haripunchai. The temple is believed to remain Buddha’s relic, which was found in the Palace Garden by King Hariphunchai. Other interesting temples in this area include Wat Phra Yuen, Wat Mahawan, Wat Chamthewi and Wat Phra Phutthabat Tak Pha… The impressive Hariphunchai National Museum is a good place to discover the area's rich and interesting history.

Lamphun is considered a hidden gem of Thailand, with its lush countryside, dotted by rice fields and orchards of the town’s popular fruit, longan, which is celebrated in a festival every August.

The Mae Ping National Park, the Doi Khun Tan National Park with imposing Namtok Tat Moei waterfall are amongst natural interests in Lamphun.

Lamphun, in comparison to its populous neighbor Chiang Mai, is still fairly sleepy place but this is the place to enjoy the more authentic Thailand and reveal its curious culture.