e-mail
: cmct@chiangmai-online.com [Chiang Mai Carnival Tour T.A.T. LICENSE 23-0137
chiangmai-carnival.com]
Sankampaeng
Road
Parked in front of a shop selling silverware.
The largest and most popular of the local handicraft factories
are situated along a 13 km stretch of the Chiang Mai - Sankampaeng Road.
Both sides of the road are lined with factories and showrooms where you have the opportunity to observe the craftsmen and women at work and purchase their fine products.
The factories manufacture and sell various types of handicrafts
including:
Lacquerware
Silverware
Silk
Celadon
Jewelry
(*)Transportation by air-con. minibus
(**)Transportation by air-con. car
Lacquerware
The art of making lacquerware is a 400 year old Chiang Mai
and Thai tradition. Lacquerware is entirely handmade. Lac Resin is produced
by insects from sap taken from fig trees. The exquisite oriental designs
on the flawless glossy black surface are made entirely by hand. The world
renowned Thai lacquerware can be decorated in paint, gold leaf, egg-shell
or simply engraved.
Silverware
Chiang Mai
offers a wide selection of modern and antique silverware. The city is a
prime source of such objets d'art because generations of artisans have
made their homes here. Chiang Mai's laid back atmosphere has brought together
many ethnic groups, each with its own distinctive style, providing you
with a wide range of beautiful artifacts to choose from. The majority of
the best silver works are situated along the Chiang Mai - Sankampeang Road.
Here you will find delicately patterned silverware from Thailand, Laos
and Burma along with antique and modern hilltribe jewelry.
Both silver coins and pure silver ingots
(smelted in a furnace) are beaten out by hand into the desired style or
shape. Months of patient effort go into these delicate and intricate designs.
Silk
Although modern technology had been introduced, Chiang Mai silk remains a timeless
expression of the craftsman's skill. From reeling the gossamer silk filaments
from the cocoon, through the dyeing process, to weaving the filaments into
a myriad of shimmering forms, nothing can replace the sure hands and eyes
of the experienced craftsman in revealing the luminous beauty of genuine
Thai Silk.
Celadon
Chiang
Mai is the centre of Thailand's ceramics industry. Among it most prized
items is the distinctive Celadon pottery, so named for its unique glaze,
the result of certain ingredients mixed with wood and ashes applied in
a carefully controlled step by step process. The clay is first treated
with additives which are then let in the shade and thrown. After bisque
firing at a temperature of 800 C, the glaze is applied. The piece is then
placed in the kiln for a second firing at a temperature of 1,250 C, which
gives it its inimitable, finely cracked finish.
Skill and experience on the part of the
craftsman are paramount for the process. Producing Celadon requires a great
deal of time, care and concentration.
Jewelry
Your tour
along the Sankampaeng Road will have convinced you that Thai craftsmen are exceptionally gifted. They have also become experts in the art of
making refined and elegant jewelry. Their expertise in cutting, polishing
and setting gems is recognized world wide.
If you are looking for truly beautiful
jewelry or just single gem stones, the Sankampaeng Road is the place to
go. Here you will find an assortment of glorious sapphires,
diamonds, emeralds and Siamese rubies set in a multitude of different settings
including necklaces, earrings, rings and bangles all created by local artists.
Shopping in well lighted and charming showrooms.
A remarkable piece of silver work at the
entry to a shop.
Bor
Sang
Bor Sang - the world famous village which sells cotton umbrellas and paper parasols
handpainted in wide varieties of floral and animals designs.
Bor Sang (which translates into umbrella) was once a tiny village
where generations of families engaged in umbrella and parasol making, labouring
beneath their raised teak houses to craft bamboo, string and sah paper
(made from the bark of the mulberry tree) into marvels of engineering.
Today, the production has become an industry but the umbrellas are still
made by hand and tourists from all around the world make a stop here to
admire and buy the crafts.
In cottage industries, young women manufacture
silk umbrellas and sah paper parasols.
After the visit to the umbrella centre, shopping along the
street is time well spent because the choice of styles
and colors among the shops is quite vast. Among the expected inventories
of parasols and umbrellas you will find attractive clothing and other nice
souvenirs.
Lunch
at Baan Suan Restaurant
For lunch, you can head for delicious Thai food or just a cool drink in the beautiful garden at Baan Suan Restaurant.
e-mail
: cmct@chiangmai-online.com [Chiang Mai Carnival Tour T.A.T. LICENSE 23-0137
chiangmai-carnival.com]
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