Chiang Mai 3

Chiang Mai

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Along the Tapae Road are shops selling the full range of northern Thai crafts. Each trade flourishes in a different section of the city but here one can see a wide selection of crafts and meet the artists and artisans who make them.

Umbrellas

Young men cut and trim the bamboo for the frames. The girls assemble and cover them with translucent paper. Artists then decorate and leave them outside their homes and stores to dry in the sun.

Silversmiths can be seen hammering out traditional hill tribe patterns and scenes from the Ramakien. The tribes people still prefer silver to paper money. The women wear the family wealth in heavy jewelry.

Amid the rhythmic rattle of the hand looms , watch the world famous Thai silk being woven. Young girls operate the looms, the most skilled can produce 6 meters of finished cloth in a day. It is a short career as the weavers eyesight quickly deteriorates in the dark bamboo huts where they work.

For a small, pay what you like donation, the umbrella painters will take a few minutes off from their work to paint whatever you may have to hand. For Canadians 'Tilley' hats were a popular item, others had camera bags belts and canvas shoes decorated with flowers, butterflies or dragons.

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