Nan
Province is now predominantly agricultural and has, relative to other
northern provinces, little that would denote it as a tourist
destination. In fact, the Lonely Planet points out that as
recently as the 1980s, Nan was
home to so many militant factions and bandits that the Thai government
had designated it a
"remote province". A Thai motorcyclist that we met at Yut's
shop though said that if you wanted to know the Thai people you had to
visit the northeast. The ethnic groups that call Nan Province home
include Thai Lu from Yunnan province in China, a small number of Htin a
Khmer tribe that range into Laos, and Hmong a mostly Laotian group who,
perhaps more than any other group, continue to live with the legacy of
the Viet Nam war.
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In
the city of Nan, the area's diversity is evident in this distinctly
Chinese Wat on the city's north side.
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An
old blessing says "In Thailand there are fish in the river and rice in
the fields." Nan's city market reflects the area's long
tradition of dependence on a riverine culture. The rivers are not only
a source of fish, but they serve as a vital artery for other trade
goods and travel. The market also sells these terrifying puppies.
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Nan
was the first place we saw one of these "banana fan palms." Oh oh, is
that another wat behind it?
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Wat
Phra That Chang Kham is not regarded as the finest or most important
wat in Nan, but I found its interior more impressive. In a small room
in an adjacent structure is the standing Buddha image shown at right.
The story goes that an art historian had agreed to purchase a plaster
Buddha from a former abbot here, but in moving it the statue was
dropped and the plaster broke to reveal this solid gold Buddha more
than three feet tall. It is now kept inside a thick class case.
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If,
however, you feel the urgent need to actually touch a Buddha, or to
have your SUV blessed, you can still be accommodated.
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At the very
informative and well stocked Nan National Museum across the street
photos are prohibited. We were able to manage a surreptitious shot of
one of its most famous pieces, a rare three hundred year old black
(actually more reddish) elephant tusk.
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