Lamphun, Thailand

Half to one Day. Return 52 km. Lamphun station is 2 km from the old town. Regular buses begin at Chang Phuak bus station and may be caught at the start of the old Chiang Mai - Lamphun Road near the Nawarat Bridge.) Lamphun remains a small provincial town on H106. The quieter pace of Lamphun makes it an attractive destination for those interested in historical culture. The old city is in the shape of an oval surrounded by lotus-filled moats and by the Kuang River on the east side Lamphun (formerly Haripunchai) is amongst the oldest cities in Thailand and predates Chiang Mai by several centuries. Northern Thai chronicles suggest the city of Haripunchai was founded by some Buddhist monks in 661 AD, but the actual date may have been as late as the mid-ninth century.The chronicles tell how some Buddhist monks wished to establish a city and invited Queen Chamadevi from Lopburi to be the first ruler (a statue of the queen stands in a small park near the south-west corner of the old city moats). The city survived Lawa attacks and eventually assimilated the Lawa and other ethnic groups. Lamphun was part of the Mon Dvaravati civilization which developed along trade routes from the Gulf of Martaban to the Chao Phraya River basin and beyond to the north and east. Queen Chamadevi's dynasty lasted till the mid- 11th century, when Lamphun may have been temporarily evacuated due to a cholera epidemic. However it remained as the center of the valley until it was captured by Mangrai in 1281. Mangrai used Lamphun as his capital for four years before seeking a better place. From the foundation of Chiang Mai in 1296, Lamphun has been dominated by its.