Thai Silk In Chiang Mai
The north of Thailand was once known as the kingdom of Lana, or the land of a million rice fields, and as the name suggests, the rhythms of its inhabitants' lives were geared to the demands of the rice-growing season.
The meant spells of intensive activity, especially at planting and harvesting time, but also quieter periods when the locals would busy themselves making household implements or waving clothes on looms beneath their stilted houses.
Over time, these local handicrafts acquired a reputation as being both functional and beautiful, and nowadays just about every visitor to the region is tempted to pick up a memento of their stay, whether it be a silk shirt, a silver bowl, a lacquer ware tray, a celadon vase, a colorful umbrella or a quirky woodcarving.
The most popular place to shop for northern Thai handicrafts is in Chiang Mai's Night Bazaar, a veritable rabbit warren of stalls selling everything from cheap hill tribe dolls to expensive antiques. Yet for anyone curious about the traditional processes, by which these products are made, a ride along Highway 1006 to Sankamphaeng, just 13 km east of Chiang Mai, is highly recommended.
Often called "the handicraft highway" for its proliferation of workshops and factories, it offers visitors the opportunity to both watch the craftsmen at work and buy a souvenir to take home. Even if you are not planning to acquire any of these handicrafts, the various processes provide great photo opportunities and insights into traditional northern culture.
The first stop along the highway is usually to see the silk weaving process. The cocoons that the silk worms form are truly a wonder of nature. When unraveled, the threads enclosing them measure more than 300 meters. Visitors can watch the caterpillar-like creatures at different stages of growth, the method of collecting the silk, the spinning of it into thread, the dyeing process, and the laborious weaving of plain and patterned cloth, which is still done on cumbersome wooden looms. After a walk round the workshop, visitors can check out the items on sale in the showroom, which range from shimmering bedspreads to striking batiks and cute purses.
Almost as popular as Thai silk, and much cheaper, are cotton and hemp fabrics that come in some very attractive earth tones and pastel shades. Hemp is thicker and stronger than cotton, so it is longer lasting and marginally more expensive. Popular items made of hemp in Chiang Mai are cushion covers, jackets and shoulder bags, which are usually embroidered with typically Thai motifs. Some of the most intricate and delicate embroidery can be seen on the teen jok, or hem border, of the pha sin, and elegant wrap-around skirt made of silk or cotton that is still very much in favour among northern Thai women.
