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Places of Lanna: 8 Provinces, Old Cities and Peoples
The places of Lanna are the cities of all eight northern provinces, from Jiang Mai the capital and La Pun the ancient city to Mae Hong Son, the city of three mists. The dictionary explains that Lanna (ล้านฯนาฯ, Kham Mueang reading lan na) once meant the group of towns in the upper north, including parts of Myanmar, China and Laos, with Chiang Mai as its capital, and today means the eight northern provinces. This page is the home of our Places of Lanna series: provinces, old cities and peoples on one map, with a link to every post that is live.
What the eight provinces are called in Kham Mueang
Northerners call a city jiang (ชยฯง, chiang), the same word as chiang in central Thai, so Chiang Mai is Jiang Mai and Chiang Rai is Jiang Hai. A small or walled town is a wiang (วยฯง, wiang).
| Province | Kham Mueang name | Lanna script | Provincial tree (Kham Mueang) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chiang Mai | Jiang Mai | ชยฯงไห่มฯ | dok kwao (flame-of-the-forest) |
| Lamphun | La Pun | หลฯะพูร | mai sam sa (rain tree) |
| Lampang | Lampang | ลำพางฯ | kha jao (Indian elm) |
| Chiang Rai | Jiang Hai | ชยฯงรายฯ | ka sa long kham (tree jasmine) |
| Phayao | Phayao | พะเยัา | dok sa la pi (saraphi) |
| Phrae | Mueang Pae | เมิอฯงแระฯพ่ | yom khao (Chittagong wood) |
| Nan | Mueang Nan | เมิอฯงนาฯ่นฯ | kamlang suea khrong (Indian birch) |
| Mae Hong Son | Mae Hong Son | แม่ฮ่อฯงสอฯร | pi jan (kraphi chan) |
The names, mottos and trees all in one place are in The 8 Lanna Provinces, and you can explore the provinces with the tappable map below.
Explore the eight provinces
Tap a province on the map to see its Kham Mueang name, motto and tree, then test your memory with the tree quiz.
Old names of the cities
Many cities have an older name that the dictionary or our posts record. This table lists only names with a source in the dictionary or in a live post.
| Province | Old name or origin | Read on |
|---|---|---|
| Chiang Mai | founded in 1296 CE as the capital of Lanna; the motto calls it Nakhon Phing | King Mangrai · The Chiang Mai Chronicle |
| Lamphun | formerly the city of Hariphunchai | La Pun · Queen Chamadevi |
| Lampang | Nakhon Khelang, built in 680 CE according to the dictionary | Lampang: Khelang Nakhon |
| Phayao | formerly the town of Mueang Phayao | The 8 Lanna Provinces |
| Phrae | Wiang Kosai | The 8 Lanna Provinces |
| Nan | Nanthaburi | Nan |
| Mae Hong Son | the city of three mists, founded as a town in 1874 CE | The 8 Lanna Provinces |
Among the walled towns in legend is Wiang Nong Lom, the Yonok city that sank into a swamp in one night after its people ate the white eel. Other towns not yet told are in the coming-soon lists on the map.
The peoples of Lanna
The dictionary says the Thai people of the eight provinces call themselves Khon Mueang and also records the names Tai Yuan (ไทยวฯร, tai yuan) and Yonok (โยน฿กฯ, yonok). But Lanna is not only Khon Mueang. For Nan alone the dictionary lists many groups living together, such as Hmong, Mien, Khmu, Mlabri, Tai Lue, Tai Phuan and Khon Mueang.
To meet each Tai group, the name it uses for itself, its homeland and its script, read Meet the Tai. For the novice ordination of the Tai Yai see Poy Sang Long, and for the lacquerware of the Tai Khuen in Chiang Mai see Khruang Khoen.
The map of Lanna places
Tap "Show what is coming" in a group to see topics not yet published. Topics that are not online have no link and become links when they are published. A province with no post yet has a dashed outline.
Province by province
- Jiang Mai: the founder in King Mangrai, the palm-leaf chronicle in The Chiang Mai Chronicle, the city pillar in Sai Khan Dok, the revival in King Kawila, and the mountain legends in Chao Luang Kham Daeng and Pu Sae Ya Sae. Visitors can start with How to Greet in Chiang Mai.
- La Pun: La Pun and Queen Chamadevi, and learn Kham Mueang from the song in Kiang Kaeo.
- Lampang: Lampang: Khelang Nakhon for horse carts, rooster bowls and Phra That Lampang Luang.
- Jiang Hai: the legends in Wiang Nong Lom, Maeng Si Hu Ha Ta and The Emerald Buddha in Lanna.
- Phayao: no post yet; watch the coming-soon list.
- Mueang Pae: the life of the Phrae-born monk in Phra Ubali Khunupamachan.
- Mueang Nan: Nan, a small city where many peoples live together.
- Mae Hong Son: the Tai novice ordination in Poy Sang Long.
How to use this series
- Start with a province you care about. The map above opens any group without reading in order.
- Check the Kham Mueang first. Every post has dictionary word cards; search more in the Moradok Lanna dictionary (in Thai).
- Name people as they name themselves. Each group has its own name, and each post gives its sources.
- Wait for new posts. This page gains a link each time a new post goes live.
Summary
- Lanna today means eight provinces: Chiang Mai, Lamphun, Lampang, Chiang Rai, Phayao, Phrae, Nan and Mae Hong Son.
- Northerners call a city jiang, a small or walled town wiang, and name provinces differently from central Thai, such as La Pun, Jiang Hai and Mueang Pae.
- Several provinces have older names, such as Hariphunchai, Khelang Nakhon, Nanthaburi and Wiang Kosai.
- Lanna is home to many peoples: the Khon Mueang call themselves Khon Mueang, and other Tai groups live alongside them.
Read on with The 8 Lanna Provinces or Meet the Tai, and look up any word at the Moradok Lanna dictionary (in Thai).
Sources
Practise the words from this article
Flip through 23 flashcards of the Lanna words used in this article.
