Thousand-year-old city in Thailand in the eyes of Vietnamese tourists

During 10 days in Northern Thailand, Huong Tran spent a day visiting the ancient city of Lampang - famous for the sound of horse hooves and preserving many cultural imprints of the ancient Lanna kingdom.

Lampang City, Lampang Province is located in northern Thailand, about 100 km southeast of Chiang Mai. The city lies in the Wang River valley and was an important center of the ancient Lanna kingdom from the 13th to 18th centuries.

Ms. Huong Tran, from Ho Chi Minh City, said she came to Lampang in early June on a 10-day trip to northern Thailand. "Bangkok and Pattaya are familiar to Vietnamese tourists, but northern tourist destinations like Lampang are still new," Ms. Huong said, adding that she booked a custom-designed land tour with a local guide to learn about the place she was visiting for the first time.

Full day tours include shuttle bus, tour guide, and entrance fees ranging from 8,000-14,000 baht (5-9 million VND), for groups of up to 6-9 guests.

Leaving the center of Lampang city, Huong visited some old tourist attractions, associated with the formation of the locality. Wat Phra That Lampang Luang Temple is located about 18-20 km from the center, in Ko Kha district, a pilgrimage site that attracts many Buddhists and tourists.

The temple was built in the 13th century, retaining the ancient Lanna-style wood and stone architecture. Locals believe that Buddha once visited this place, naming the land Lamphakappa - the predecessor of today's Lampang.

On the way to Ko Kha, 13 km from the center, Ms. Huong stopped at a coffee shop complex combined with a pottery workshop and an exhibition room. The campus of this place is covered with ancient trees, the architecture is inspired by Lanna culture. In addition to the coffee area, there is a gallery, exhibiting artistic ceramic products and home decoration paintings.

Architect Ekkrit Praditsuwan, owner of the Earth & Fire Ceramic complex, and his wife have transformed a 30-year-old pottery kiln in Lampang into a local tourist attraction. The workshop remains open, reorienting its business to produce unique cups and plates for 50 fine dining restaurants across Thailand. Visitors can visit the workshop to see the pottery making process. They can also take part in a workshop to decorate ceramic products such as cups and plates, starting at 250 baht (VND207,000), including tools and paint.

HA (according to VnE)

Source: https://baohaiduong.vn/thanh-pho-nghin-tuoi-o-thai-lan-trong-mat-khach-viet-414733.html