Chiang Mai is the largest and most culturally
significant city in Northern Thailand, and the
capital of Chiang Mai Province. In recent years
Chiang Mai has become an increasingly modern
city. It has many attractions for the thousands
of foreign visitors who come to the city each
year. Chiang Mai's historic strength derived
from its important strategic location near a
southern branch of the ancient Silk Road, and
long before the modern influx of foreign
visitors the city served as an important centre
for handcrafted goods, umbrellas, jewelers and
woodcarving.
