Lampang
is located about 100 km southeast of Chiang Mai. It was established
in the 7th century, during the Dvaravati period, and later played
an important role in the Hariphunchai kingdom. The local belief
is that the town was founded by the son of Queen Chama Devi,
the ruler of the Hariphunchai kingdom. In common with the older
cities in the north, Lampang was built within a walled rectangle
by the side of a river, in this case the River Wang.
At the beginning
of this century, Lampang flourished in the highly profitable
teak trade. Many of the fine temples around the town were sponsored
by the timber merchants, who made vast fortunes from the hardwood.
The highly sought hardwood was also the main building material
used for the magnificent Wat Phra That Lampang Luan, thought
to be the oldest wooden building still standing in Thailand.
One of the more pleasurable sights in Lampang are its horse-drawn
carts. Although the more modern modes of transport have overwhelmed
the streets of most cities, these equine-driven carts are still
a form of public transport around town.
