Nan offers a variety of activities and places of interest to see, ;
King of Nan’s Teak House
Built in 1866 with golden teak and reconstructed in 1941, this large house (Mahaprom road, opposite the rear entrance of the Wat Phra That Chang Kham) is now the residence of Chao Sompradhana Na Nan. It exhibits heritage antiques such as ancient weapons, war elephant ivory and photographs by King Rama V. Contact the owner for visiting (Tel. 0 5471 0605).
The Old Wall
Constructed in 1885 by Chao Anantavorarittidet, Nan’s ruler, the wall was built in place of an old log wall destroyed by flood in 1817. Remnants of the wall – around 400 m out of the original 3 600 m – can be seen at the junction of the Th Mahawong and the Th Rob Muang, at the South-West end of the town.
Nan National Museum
Location: Pha Kong road, off Highway 101 on the outskirts of the city. Aside from sundry historical artifacts, one of the most prized items is a 94cm long, 18kg black Elephant tusk.
The Nan National Museum is located in the original palace of the last two feudal lords of Nan. The building was originally constructed in 1903 by Phra Chao Suriyapnong Phalidet, the 2nd-last lord of Nan to replace his former wooden residence. After the death of the Chao Maha Brahma Surathada, the last lord of Nan, his heirs donated this palace to the government in 1931 in order to be used as the provincial hall.
Admission 30B;
Open 9am-4pm Mon-Sat
Thanks to relatively recent renovations, it is one of Thailand’s most up-to-date provincial museums and, unlike many others, it also has English labels for many items on display.
Also on display on the 2nd floor is a rare black (in fact reddish-brown) elephant tusk said to have been offered to a Nan king over 300 years ago by the Khün lord of Chiang Tung (Kengtung). Held aloft by a wooden Garuda (mythical bird) sculpture, the tusk measures 97 cm long and 47 cm in circumference. Books on Thai art and archaeology are sold in a building adjacent to the museum.
Pha Toob Arboretum
12kms from the city on highway 1080 in an area which has a number of caves.
Nan Riverside Art Gallery
The Nan Riverside Art Gallery was founded by Winai Prabripoo, a famous Thai artist and native of Nan. Winai graduated from Silkaporn University, & after 25 years in Bangkok decided to do something for regional artists and provide them with both a gallery and centre for learning for the young people of Nan. More details…
