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Bits and pieces Buried and forgotten for centuries, Wiang Kum Kam emerges from the dead Those who have visited Chiang Mai might be surprised to know that the capital of Lanna Kingdom has a twin city that remained buried and was forgotten for centuries until its discovery two decades ago. "The city is 721 years old now, ten years older than Chiang Mai," Supoj Boonmuen, a local guide said of Wiang Kum Kam as the tram circled the excavated site. "Actually local people, including me, never thought that we could be living on an ancient city even though there are lots of temple ruins around. One day construction workers dug the ground at Wat Chang Kham and found a number of Buddha amulets and the news spread like wild fire. The Fine Arts Department then sent a team to the site and was surprised to learn that it was dealing with an ancient city." Finding an ancient civilisation buried underground has been both a good and bad news. I noticed many houses near the ruins had put up "For Sale" signs. "They have posed a problem for the archeological team as some sites lie beneath someone's land. There are 42 temples in all and only 28 have been dug up so far." said the guide. Wiang Kum Kam was founded by King Meng Rai who was looking for a nice location by Ping River for his new capital. However, the city often got flooded and he was forced to move to Chiang Mai. Wiang Kum Kam's role gradually diminished. Between 1558-1774 it was ruled from Burma and it was during this period that it suffered massive flooding and was buried under sludge. It is believed that not long after the disaster Ping River changed course. In its heyday, Wing Kum Kam was on the west bank of the Ping, as Chiang Mai is today, but after the river changed course the former capital now finds itself on the Ping's eastern bank. Pebbles and sediments from the excavated site seem to attest to the theory that the city was destroyed by flood. It remained buried for centuries and its existence faded from public memory. It's easy to understand why the city was forgotten. The entire area was virtually flat, except for small hills. But what lay underneath was too exciting - brick foundations of temples, ubosoth, and monasteries a metre or two deep under the surface. A varied mix of Lanna art and those of other nearby cultures indicate that it must have been a hub of people representing different races and traditions. As for archaeologists, alphabets, artifacts and art objects are significant pieces of a jigsaw to help determine how the Lanna Kingdom evolved and disintegrated. "Here is Wat E Kang. 'E Kang' means the langur monkey, so at some time the area must have been occupied by monkeys," said my guide pointing in that direction. "Stone inscriptions in Mon and Sukhothai alphabets, pottery and jewellery were found there." In the absence of concrete historical records or evidence, I noticed that most temple sites were named after owners of the land on which they currently sit, such as Wat Nan Chang and Wat Ku Pa Dom. In both cases the owners were gracious in giving archaeologists access to their land so they could proceed with the excavation. There is a Wat That Khao, so named because a white Buddha statue was dug up there. Most of what visitors can see are ruins, with only the foundations and damaged pagodas still standing in some cases. One structure on a hill that survived the big flood is Wat Ku Kham Luang and it gave me a rough idea of how majestic Wiang Kum Kam would have been in its glory days. The temple has a rectangular pagoda housing a relic of Lord Buddha and 60 of his images. The tram ride was made exciting by our guide who regaled us with his wits and spiced it up with anecdotes rooted in Lanna history and culture. TRAVEL TIPS Wiang Kum Kam is located in Sarapi, five kilometres southeast of downtown Chiang Mai. From Chiang Mai take the Chiang Mai-Lamphun Highway or the new Ring Road and drive to the excavated ruins. Tram and horse-drawn carriages with guide are also available. |