Nan

น่าน; Nan
Coordinates	18 ° 47 ' N , 100 ° 46' E Coordinates: 18 ° 47 ' N , 100 ° 46' E
Basic data
Country	Thailand
province	Nan
ISO 3166-2	TH-55
height	227 m
Residents	21,249 (2012)
	Front view of Wat Phumin

Remains of the historic city wall

Nan ( Thai : น่าน , full name: เทศบาล เมือง น่าน ) is a city ( thesaban Mueang ) of Nan province in the northern region of Thailand .

It is the capital of the province of the same name and the district ( Amphoe ) Mueang Nan .

location

Nan is located around 670 km north of Bangkok on the Mae Nam Nan ( Nan River ), a tributary of the Mae Nam Chao Phraya near the border with Laos . The city is surrounded by high, impassable mountains that attract nature lovers.

history

The settlement of Nan can be proven from around 1280 . The small empire was protected from attacks by the impassability of the area, but for many years it was tributary to the kings of Chiang Mai ( Lan Na ), after which they were vassals of the Burmese for more than 200 years . It was not until 1931 that Nan was officially incorporated into the state of Siam. Today there are mainly members of the Tai Lü and other hill tribes in the province with their own customs and traditions.

See main article: History of Thailand

Economy and Importance

The area is famous for its sweet oranges (Som Si Thong = golden oranges). Textiles are made at home , mainly weaving mills with wave and step patterns, but also musical instruments (the salor , a type of violin , and the sueng , a guitar-like instrument ).

Attractions

National Museum Nan : Museum of Art History, Archeology and Ethnology; on the site of the former palace of the feudal lords of Nan, stone inscriptions from the 15th century, throne from the 19th century, objects of everyday life for mountain dwellers.
Wat Phumin : unique temple from the late 16th century in Mon-Chiang-Saen mixed style with a Buddha group, in which four statues with their backs facing each other look in all directions, beautifully carved portals, unique wall paintings.
Boat racing: The well-known traditional main attraction on the Nan River and the climax of a two-week festival that is celebrated every year after the end of the Buddhist "Lent" ( Ok Phansa ) towards the end of October. The racing tradition is said to have originated as early as the end of the 19th century. The boats, some of which are 30 meters long, can accommodate up to 50 rowers. They are made from a single tree trunk and colorfully painted with traditional motifs.