Friday 29 November 2024
Revisiting the Klong Mae Kha

One of my continual fascinations is with the Kamphaengdin, the second wall around the eastern and southern parts of the original Chiang Mai walled city. As Chiang Mai grew and expanded outside what we now call “the old city,” to protect the expanded part of the city from flooding, an earth, brick, and clay wall (the Kamphaengdin) was built along the inside of an existing klong, the Klong Mae Kha. A “klong” is a small river or a canal.

Some History of Klong Mae Kha

In about 1296, King Mengrai decided to abandon the flooded city under construction at Wiang Kum Kam, since it was right by the Ping River and subject to flooding every year. It is said he used Klong Mae Kah to search for a better and higher location for the new city, what was to become Chiang Mai.

The map shown here is from 1904 showing the square Chiang Mai city wall and curving around the east and south of the old city is the Kamphaengdin depicted as a purple line. The Kamphaengdin was built in the late 1300s or early 1400s just inside the existing Klong Mae Kha.

I’ll search for more of the Kamphaengdin later. Today, I just wanted to take a long walk to see the Klong Mae Kha. A few years ago, the section of the Klong Mae Kha from Ragang Road south about 250 meters was cleaned up, sidewalks added on the sides of the canal, and the homeowners opened shops selling drinks, snacks, and souveniers all along the refurbished section. This section is also brightly lit with festive decorations and lights and has become the trendy place to get a photo to share on social media.

In January of 2023, I found that from Sridonchai Road, there is a walkway along part of the Klong Mae Kah. That only allows walking along the canal for about 150 meters and stops at dense vegetation on both sides. Here are two photos from that exploration almost years ago. The left photo shows the wide, nice walkway and the right where the walkway ends and the sides are impassable, covered in dense brush.

The section covered in brush is about 150 meters long leading to Ragang Road where the improved section starts.

Klong Mae Kha Today

I walked from The 3-Sis to the southwest corner of the old city, then down Sridonchai Road to Kamphaengdin Road (a road just inside where the old Kamphaengdin wall was) then south to Ragang Road and slightly east to the bridge over the Klong Mae Kha. Here is a photo of the road bridge over the klong. The Thai phrase at the top says Mae Kha Bridge and Ragang underneath for the bridge over the Mae Kha canal at Ragang road.

I got a bit of a surprise. A couple of years ago I was wondering why the 150 meter impassible section was not improved connecting the already improved section to Sridonchai Road. Such an improvement would make the Klong Mae Kha less remote and open to many more people and tourists. And the surprise is that it appears that very renovation is underway. The photo below shows a project in progress. I do not know exactly what is taking place or why the canal itself is covered in bamboo, but it is clear a renovation project is in progress.

Here are two photos of the improved section of the Klong Mae Kha. Given that this is just before 5 PM, the lights are not lit, and there are only a few tourists. Later this will be very busy with many tourists.

All of those fish and flowers will be lit after sunset. I’ll come back in the evening and get more photos.

They also build a few bridges over the canal for pedestrians. All decorated for the holiday season.

There is this very large, elegant-looking tree I love so I got a photo.

I crossed and walked up the other side. Here is a view approaching the start with a few more tourists showing up:

And the sign at the “start” which says:
Beautiful canal, clear water, Mae Kha
The river of life, creating an economy, creating a sustainable way of life
Chiang Mai Municipality

A nice late afternoon walk in Chiang Mai. Now time to ponder dinner.

Next: Walk to Wat Suan Dok and Wat Sri Suphan