Chiang Mai Culture Articles by hotelATM 2010-03-30T03:48:45+00:00 hotelATM http://hotelATM.com/info/about.htm no-reply@hotelATM.com tag:hotel-travel-chiangmai.com,blog-92 7 1 25 History, Lanna Culture and King Mengrai tag:hotel-travel-chiangmai.com,blog-92.post-202 2010-03-30T03:48:45+00:00 Lanna is the given name of a prosperous self ruling kingdom, once the power base of the whole of Northern Thailand as well as parts of present day Burma (Myanmar) and Laos. The title means "Land of a million rice fields". Songkran in Chiang Mai tag:hotel-travel-chiangmai.com,blog-92.post-1214 2010-03-29T04:48:45+00:00 The most amazingly wild, wet and sanook of all Thailand's festivals is Songkran, which starts on April 13 every year and lasts for three wild, wet, and extremely fun days. Events and Festivals in Chiang Mai tag:hotel-travel-chiangmai.com,blog-92.post-190 2010-03-27T04:48:45+00:00 Not the least of the North's attractions are the many festivals that dot the calendar. All Thais love a celebration but northerners have a special flair for them. The Songkran New Year festival in April, for example, is seen at its most colorful and boisterous in Chiang Mai. People of Chiang Mai tag:hotel-travel-chiangmai.com,blog-92.post-204 2006-10-31T02:01:04+00:00 With a population of 1,547,085 Chiang Mai is one of Thailand's largest provinces. Of the above number, 170,348 are currently living in Chiang Mai's city area with the rest distributed throughout Chiang Mai's 21 districts, 2 sub-districts. 80% of the people in Chiang Mai are locals by birth, and speak a dialect that is a slight variation of the central Thai language. The remaining 20% is made up of Thai nationals and foreigners who have moved to Chiang Mai to work, study, or retire. Hilltribes tag:hotel-travel-chiangmai.com,blog-92.post-205 2006-10-31T02:01:04+00:00 The people that inhabit the hills of Northern Thailand have long been a curiosity for visitors to the kingdom. Living a life apart from the lowland Thais, these migratory people seem trapped in a time warp stretching back to the middle ages. Thai Architecture tag:hotel-travel-chiangmai.com,blog-92.post-627 2006-10-31T02:01:00+00:00 The most distinctive style of Thai architecture is seen in the many temples located all over Thailand. Chiang Mai has no shortage of these, conspicuous for their steep stuccoed roofs and ornate filigree. Thai Art tag:hotel-travel-chiangmai.com,blog-92.post-630 2006-10-31T02:01:00+00:00 Originating strictly as a religious form, traditional Thai art is often associated with Buddhism and the sangha - the community.