Maehongson, Thailand's northern border city, hiding itself in between the towering mountains with densely forested slopes, stretching to the Burmese border. Maehongson is known for its charm of scenery and culture. The people of Maehongson consists of the Shans who live in the city and the hilltribe people who live in remote villages on mountain tops where elements of lifestyle have changed little in hundreds of years.
The Shans' ancestors came from Shans region in Burma. The hilltribe people consist of Karen, Lisu, Mhong, Lahu, and Lua. Both the Shans and the hilltribemen have their own distinctive cultures. They have their own lilting dialect, their own architectural lifestyles, their own customs and traditions, and their own delicious cuisine. Throughout the year, Maehongson holds many festivals and events. Tourists can observe the distinction cultures from these events. There are different dances, rituals, and ceremonies for different events and festivals. Even the foods are different for each event.
The most remarkable tradition and also the most important event for the Shans is "Poy Sanglong Festival" which is the ordination ceremony for the Shans' boys. The event is held in March and there is one big celebration throughout the city.
The city is covered with the mist all year long. Maehongson gains its nickname of "the City of Three Mists" from the fact that it has dewy mist in the winter, forest fire mist in the summer and rainy mist in the rainy season. Maehongson, Thailand's northern border city, hiding itself in between the towering mountains with densely forested slopes, stretching to the Burmese border. Maehongson is known for its charm of scenery and culture. The people of Maehongson consists of the Shans who live in the city and the hilltribe people who live in remote villages on mountain tops where elements of lifestyle have changed little in hundreds of years.
The Shans' ancestors came from Shans region in Burma. The hilltribe people consist of Karen, Lisu, Mhong, Lahu, and Lua. Both the Shans and the hilltribemen have their own distinctive cultures. They have their own lilting dialect, their own architectural lifestyles, their own customs and traditions, and their own delicious cuisine. Throughout the year, Maehongson holds many festivals and events. Tourists can observe the distinction cultures from these events. There are different dances, rituals, and ceremonies for different events and festivals. Even the foods are different for each event.
The most remarkable tradition and also the most important event for the Shans is "Poy Sanglong Festival" which is the ordination ceremony for the Shans' boys. The event is held in March and there is one big celebration throughout the city.
The city is covered with the mist all year long. Maehongson gains its nickname of "the City of Three Mists" from the fact that it has dewy mist in the winter, forest fire mist in the summer and rainy mist in the rainy season.
The tourist can go by bus from Bangkok direct to Mae hong son:
- The bus will depart from Bangkok northern bus station (in famous name "Mohchit song") everyday. "song" is not realy song but the meaning is number 2 that Thai's pronunciation.
This route have only one bus company. The company name is Sombat tour. You can buy bus ticket at the Bangkok bus station(Moh chit song) or use the web site to get more information. The bus have two options; one is VIP bus and another one is normal airconditioner bus.
The bus will take about 13 hours and pass many provinces along nothern Thailand. Sombat tour's Website (if you can read in Thai : ) http://www.sombattour.com
Sombat tour operation office number :
๏ฟฝTel. 02-5378333 ,02-5378383
Go by bus to Chiangmai, to Mae hong son:
- This route more easier, you can take many buses from many companies at Bangkok northern bus station to Chiangmai. The bus companys go to this route every day. You will arrive Chiangmai frist, after that you can take a bus from Chiangmai to Pai at bus station, and then to Mae hong son on the rout highway 1095. This rout also have mini van from Chiangmai to Pai and then to Mae hong son. The van will take about 5 hours and seat avialable just 10 persons each. Another route is highway 108 (south way). It pass Hod, Mae sariang and go to Mae hong son.
From Bangkok to Chiangmai will take 8 hours and from Chiangmai to Mae hong son will take 7 hours.
Please note : the bus from Chiangmai to Mae hong son have only one company. It is Prem-pracha company.
- You have more choices to go to Mae hong son after you get to Chiangmai. You can go by airplane by Thaiairways airline from Chiangmai to Mae hong son. This way is famous for tourist to save thier travelling time. The airplane just small airplane. The seat avialable for 60 persons. And they have 3 flights per day. You can also check with thier schedule in the Thaiairway website.
Thai air ways website : www.thaiairways.com
- You can use two airlines from Bangkok to Mae hong son, one is Thaiairways and another one is SGA airline. The Thaiairways will stop at Chiangmai airport and you will change airplane there. For SGA airline, they is only one company that have directing flight from Bangkok to Mae hong son but thier aircraft too small. The seat avialable just 30 persons. Please check with thier website below;
SGA airline www.sga.co.th here : www.thaiairways.com
You can get train from Bangkok at Bangkok rialway station (or Hoa lam phong) for go to Chiangmai. The train take along night and after that you can make decision how to go to Mae hong son. By bus, by minivan or by airplane as the recomandations above.
Please check the schedule with Thailand railway website.
Thailand railway website www.railway.co.th
Festivals & Religion
| As most of the people in Maehongson were (and many still are) farmers, the traditional ceremonies that take place throughout the year reflect the rhythms of rice cultivation. |
| (Shan people call this month duan jeng) and January (duan gum), during the cold winter months after the rice has all been harvested, the local people make khao lam, which is a kind of sweet made from cooking rice inside bamboo sticks, and khao buk, which is steamed sticky rice pounded with sesame seeds. These sweets are made as offerings to Buddha and also to give out to friends and neighbors. During this time there are no specific religious festivals. (duan sam) the people celebrate the tradition of khao ya goo by giving out red sticky rice parcels. They make these by first of all steaming the sticky rice and mixing it with sugar cane, coconut and peanuts. They take the rice cakes to the temple to make offerings and also give them out to their friends and neighbor (duan see) heralds the start of the very important festival of Poi Sang Long, which is the ordination of young Shan boys as novice monks. (duan ha) there is the festival of Songkran, during which time the people prepare food and offerings to take to make merit at the temples. (duan hok) the festival of Poi Ja Dee takes place, during which time the people collect sand and take it to the temples to ake little chedis in the temple grounds during the time of the full moon and they all join together to make merit. (duan jed) the people make offerings to the village spirits at various sites throughout the area. (duan bet, gao, sip) the tradition of Dang Som Doh Long is held, which consists of making offerings of specially prepared food for the older people who are spending the Buddhist Lent months in the temples. (duan sipet) the festival of Hen Som Go Ja is held, which consists of making offerings to relatives who have already passed away. There are also celebrations to mark the end of the Lent season, or Jong Para. During the evening the people make processions carrying hand made castle like structures (to welcome the Buddha back from heaven where he went during the Lent season to visit his mother) to the temples, or else place them outside their homes to bring merit to their families. During these ceremonies there is music and dancing. Mostly the dancing is done by dancers dressed up as mythological creatures, such as the mythological half bird-half human ginaree and the mythological yak, which is held by two dancers, rather like a pantomime horse. |
| The people of Maehongson eat rice as their staple food. Recommended dishes include geang hang lae, which is made from pork amongst many other things, and can be found for sale in the local morning market. The preparation of food depends both on the everyday lives of the people and their merit making traditions. Usually, the men prepare the food for important festivals, such as Poi Sang Long (ordination of novice monks) and Poi Ja Dee (sand chedis) The most important ingredient of Shan food is tua naw kep, which are round flat cakes, 5''-6" in diameter, made from dried, fermented soya beans. |
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