The cultural heart of the former Lanna kingdom, Chiang Mai enters its high season during the winter months, when cooler temperatures and clearer skies draw visitors to northern Thailand.
But beyond its scenic mountain setting and relaxed seasonal atmosphere, the former Lanna capital is being recognized for something less transient: a deeply rooted culture of craft that remains embedded in everyday life.
That distinction was acknowledged when Chiang Mai was named a City of Craft and Folk Art by UNESCO’s Creative Cities Network.
The designation reflects a long-standing reality in the region, where artistic traditions are not preserved solely as heritage artefacts but continue to function within religious practice, architecture, agriculture and contemporary design.
Traveling along Chiang Mai’s Lanna heritage routes during the winter season offers an insight into how traditional knowledge is maintained and reworked.
Rather than presenting a past locked in time, these routes highlight a cultural landscape shaped by continuity — where historic tobacco curing barns are reused, traditional craftsmanship is still in use, and village-based skills continue to support local livelihoods.
Industrial Memory
One example of this approach can be found in San Pa Tong district, south of Chiang Mai City, at Kao Mai Lanna Resort. The site occupies a former tobacco curing complex built in the mid-20th century, once a key part of the region’s agricultural economy.
Instead of replacing the industrial building, the restoration retains original brick walls, wooden beams and ventilation panels, allowing the buildings’ former structure to remain visible.
Open courtyards, water features and trees soften the geometry of the curing barns, while climbing plants now cover surfaces once used for drying tobacco leaves.
The property received a UNESCO Asia-Pacific Award for Cultural Heritage Conservation in 2018, recognizing its sensitive approach to adaptive reuse.
Today, the complex houses a café serving local food alongside, a museum, a small resort offering understated accommodation and spa treatments. This award-winning property is not only a hospitality venue but also a practical example of how industrial heritage can be repurposed without changing its historical setting and spirit.
Faith and Craft at Wat Phra That Si Chom Thong
To the South, Wat Phra That Si Chom Thong Worawihan highlights the role of religious institutions in sustaining Chiang Mai’s craft traditions.
Founded more than 570 years ago, Wat Phra That Si Chom Thong remains an active spiritual center while also preserving artisanal practices associated with Buddhism in Lanna.
Founded over 570 years ago, Wat Phra That Si Chom Thong remains a living center of Lanna Buddhist craftsmanship.//Photo: TAT Chiang Mai Office
A museum within the temple complex displays ritual objects crafted from silver and gold using techniques passed down through the centuries.
The refined metalwork reflects both religious devotion and a regional aesthetic shaped by symbolism and precision.
The temple is also associated with the Mai Kham Pho procession, an annual ritual in which carved wooden supports are offered to sacred Bodhi trees. Recognized as a national cultural heritage event, the procession demonstrates how craftsmanship in
Chiang Mai remains participatory, embedded in communal rituals rather than restricted to museums.
For visitors tracing the heritage routes, the temple offers a rare example of continuity, where faith and artisanal skill continue to support each other.
Textile traditions in Chom Thong
In nearby Chom Thong district, the Pa-Da Cotton Textile Museum provides a quieter perspective on Lanna heritage. Established by the late Saeng-da Bunsiddhi, a National Artist renowned for her expertise in hand-woven cotton, the museum is housed in a traditional wooden residence on what was once Chiang Mai’s royal estate.
Pa-Da Cotton Textile Museum, housed in a traditional wooden residence formerly part of Chiang Mai’s royal estate.//Photo: TAT Chiang Mai Office
The museum exhibits antique looms, hand-spun yarns and textiles dyed with natural materials such as bark, leaves and roots. The muted colors and tactile fabrics reflect a craft tradition shaped by local ecology, seasonal rhythms and ritual use.
Pa-Da Cotton Textile Museum operates as a working space as well as an exhibition site. Local women continue to weave and teach on the premises, ensuring that skills are transmitted through practice rather than preservation alone.
The museum highlights Chiang Mai’s craft identity that extends well beyond the urban center into surrounding rural communities.
Contemporary design with traditional foundations
Chiang Mai’s heritage routes also intersect with its contemporary creative economy. Satu, a fashion label originating in Doi Tao District, demonstrates how traditional techniques can inform modern design without losing cultural integrity.
The brand works closely with village artisans, producing garments from hemp and natural cotton dyed with plant-based pigments.
Subtle wax-resist batik motifs inspired by Hmong textile traditions often appear on the reverse of garments, serving as understated references to cultural memory.
Satu revives Karen Phlong weaving in Doi Tao, preserving disappearing fiber and textile traditions.//Photo: Satu Facebook page
Satu’s designs favor simplicity and irregularity, treating variation as a sign of authenticity rather than imperfection. The label is sold at selected craft markets such as Jing Jai Market and through occasional pop-up events.
Visitors who travel to Doi Tao can engage more directly with the communities involved through homestays and informal workshops that prioritize exchange over commercial tourism.
As Chiang Mai enters its winter high season, its UNESCO designation is widely viewed not as a culmination but as an ongoing commitment.
The city’s Lanna heritage routes reveal a place where craft traditions remain relevant because they continue to evolve within daily life.
For travelers, the experience offers more than sightseeing. It provides an opportunity to observe how cultural continuity is sustained — through buildings reused rather than replaced, rituals practiced rather than reenacted, and skills shared across generations.
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CAPTIONS
01 CNX: Café Rong Bom–Kaomai Lanna Resort, a UNESCO-honored example of adaptive reuse blending contemporary design with heritage architecture.//Photo: Kaomai Lanna Resort
02 CNX: Founded over 570 years ago, Wat Phra That Si Chom Thong remains a living center of Lanna Buddhist craftsmanship.//Photo: TAT Chiang Mai Office
03 CNX: Pa-Da Cotton Textile Museum, housed in a traditional wooden residence formerly part of Chiang Mai’s royal estate.//Photo: TAT Chiang Mai Office
04 CNX: Satu homestays highlight tribal craftsmanship rooted in Doi Tao district traditions.//Photo: Satu Facebook page
05: Satu revives Karen Phlong weaving in Doi Tao, preserving disappearing fiber and textile traditions.//Photo: Satu Facebook page
