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Ron Emmons

Northern Thailand was once part of the Kingdom of Lanna – the name meaning “a million rice fields” – which, in its heyday between the 14th and 16th centuries, extended to parts of modern-day Laos, China and Myanmar.
Chiang Mai became the capital of this kingdom in 1296, but for a decade before that, King Mangrai ruled his domain from Wiang Kum Kam, 5km to the south of the city.
The region around Wiang Kum Kam was prone to flooding and after just five years, Mangrai began moving his base north to the plain between the mountain Doi Suthep and the Ping River, where he built the walled city of Chiang Mai.
While flooding was frequent at Wiang Kum Kam, archaeologists suspect there was a “super flood” that caused the southern site to be buried by sediment and abandoned altogether in the 16th century.

It was not until the 1980s that efforts to uncover the ruins were made by the Thai government’s Fine Arts Department.
Because of its subterranean nature, Wiang Kum Kam has been dubbed Thailand’s Lost Kingdom, Thailand’s Forgotten Kingdom and The Underground Empire.

The ancient city does not rank high on most visitors’ “must-see” lists, but this makes it a refreshing and rewarding experience for anyone curious about Lanna’s illustrious past and Chiang Mai’s laid-back present.
It is best to begin a tour of Wiang Kum Kam at the information centre, just east of the Ping River on the middle ring road, where relics from the site such as stucco carvings provide a tantalising introduction.
From here, hire a pony and carriage (300 baht; US$8.30) that will take you for about an hour on a winding route to look at nine of the best-restored temples. Alternatively, you can ride around the site on a bicycle or motorbike, although it is easy to get lost in the maze of lanes.

Most of the temples that have been uncovered (to date, around 40) lie within a square kilometre that is hemmed in by two busy Chiang Mai ring roads.
Nearly all consist of little more than foundations of a viharn (assembly hall) and a brick stupa, so it can get a bit repetitive if you try to take them all in.
Unlike Thailand’s better-known ancient cities, such as Sukhothai and Ayutthaya, which have been cleared of all traces of modernity, Wiang Kum Kam shares quiet streets with houses, stores and workshops, giving a taste of contemporary rural life as well as offering a window to the past.

The first stop on our suggested pony and carriage tour is Wat Ku Pa Dom, where the remains of an assembly hall, ordination hall, stupa, well and boundary wall can be seen sitting a couple of metres below the surrounding land.
An angled retaining wall here – as with those at most other temples along the way – is designed to prevent further damage from flooding.
The next stop is Wat Chang Kham, a modern temple built on the site of an older place of worship, Wat Kamthom, which is where excavations of the ancient city began, in 1984.


All that remains of Wat Kamthom is the base of the viharn and stupa, but several elements of Wat Chang Kham are of interest, including a shrine to King Mangrai, a delightfully decorated scripture library, several statues of mythical creatures and a bodhi tree supported by colourful poles.
Keep an eye open for an unusual cannonball tree, with bright pink blossoms and cannonball-sized fruit, near the back entrance.


The most complete of the ruins are Wat E-Kang and Wat Pupia, both of which feature a stupa and the remains of several buildings, although once again the retaining walls demonstrate that the temples are well below ground level.
Wat Pupia is the only temple with some remaining elements of stucco carvings, near the top of the stupa.
Stories about the excavations give an idea of how exciting the past 40 years have been.
Apparently Wat Nanchang, which had been built in two distinct periods, was buried beneath a longan orchard. The root system of longans is shallow, and when one tree toppled over under the weight of its fruit in 2002, it revealed signs of what turned out to be a huge underground temple.

The last temple on this tour is Wat Chedi Liam, which appears to be a modern structure, although the square stupa here, with five receding levels and Buddha images in niches, has been rebuilt many times through the centuries since it was first erected by King Mangrai, in memory of his wife.
As at Wat Chang Kham, it is worth wandering around the tranquil site with its assembly hall, ordination hall and spirit houses, before picking up a souvenir at one of the stalls and clip-clopping back to base with a tired pony and driver.


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Wat E-Kang, one of Wiang Kum Kam’s best-preserved temples. Visitors to Thailand’s “Lost Kingdom” in a suburb of Chiang Mai can see ancient statues, remains of buildings and other Lanna Kingdom relics that lay buried for centuries. Photo: Ron Emmons

A statue of King Mangrai at Wiang Kum Kam Information Centre. Photo: Ron Emmons

Wat Nanchang, one of the sites of Wiang Kum Kam, was buried beneath a longan orchard before being discovered in 2002. Photo: Ron Emmons

A good way to see Wiang Kum Kam is by pony and carriage, which can be hired, along with a driver, at the Wiang Kum Kam information centre. Photo: Ron Emmons

Wat Ku Pa Dom, with its retaining walls, stands near houses in a modern Chiang Mai neighbourhood. Photo: Ron Emmons

Ornate details of Wat Chang Kham’s scripture library. Photo: Ron Emmons

Colourful poles support a bodhi tree at Wat Chang Kham. Photo: Ron Emmons

The cannonball tree near the back entrance of Wat Chang Kham. Photo: Ron Emmons

The ruins at Wat Pupia, including a stupa with original stucco carvings, are some of Wiang Kum Kam’s most complete. Photo: Ron Emmons

The square-based, five-tiered stupa at Wat Chedi Liam, erected by King Mangrai in memory of his wife. Photo: Ron Emmons

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