KOREA FOUNDATION

With its many mountains and creeks, Chiang Mai Province is an ideal habitat for flowers and plants requiring a tropical or temperate environment. The best time to visit is from the end of January to the beginning of February, when a wide range of flowers are blooming. Every year, visitors come from all over the world to see the Chiang Mai Flower Festival.

The festival centers around Suan Buak Haad, a public park popular with local residents. Visitors can enjoy elaborate flower installations and events throughout the festival, including a contest for flowers and plants; a “Miss Chiang Mai” beauty pageant; agricultural exhibitions; and displays by landscape specialists, featuring patios, waterfalls as well as decorative plants and flowers. As you stroll through the festival, you will be enveloped by the vibrant colors and enchanting fragrances of the over 200 flowers and plants, including orchids, chrysanthemums, globe amaranths, tulips, cockscombs, roses, and many more. On the other side of the park, a market offers local specialty products and foods. The flower decorating contest, held to preserve Thailand’s unique culture, is a must-see. 

The highlight of the Chiang Mai Flower Festival is the opening flower parade, which starts on Saturday morning. A large-scale band dressed in costumes performs alongside elaborately-decorated flower floats and as well as dancers in traditional costumes. In the evening, the contestants of the “Miss Chiang Mai” beauty pageant show off their beauty, while parade participants present roses as a special gift to festival-goers. The parade proceeds at slow pace, allowing enough time for everyone to take plenty of photos.

The Chiang Mai Flower Festival, first held in 1976 and therefore celebrating its 42nd anniversary this year, represents a source of pride for locals and supports the local horticulture industry, which has steadily grown in importance as Thailand has become a major exporter of fresh cut flowers, ornamental plants, and a range of other horticultural products. While the Korean spring is still some time away, why not enjoy a stimulating visit at the Chiang Mai Flower Festival! You’ll find that the beauty of the flowers is matched by the kindness and hospitality of Thai people, and a visit at Chiang Mai will also enable you to discover Thailand’s traditional culture that they have so well preserved.

The Roots of Thai Art, Lan Na Culture

Chiang Mai was once the capital of the ancient Lan Na Kingdom, renowned for its unique art, distinctive food culture and progressive society. Stunning relics of the ancient kingdom are evidence of its people’s splendid craftsmanship, which lives on today as Chiang Mai remains a city friendly to both design and art, sought by artists from all over the world.