Doi Nang Non
Encyclopedia
Doi Nang Non "Mountain of the Sleeping Lady", is an unusual land feature located in Chiang Rai Province
, Thailand
. It is a karstic formation with numerous waterfalls and caves.
At that point the young lady was so exhausted she fell down on her back. Looking at the sky she cried bitterly, finally dying of despair.
After her death the woman's ghost grew to a huge size and was covered by the surrounding earth, taking the shape of a sleeping lady (Nang Non; นางนอน) with her face looking skywards.
(Mae Chan district), from where the "sleeping lady" can be observed best. Local tour guides like to joke that Doi Nang Non is "the highest mountain in the world", if the lady would get up and stand on her feet.
There are a number of caves and water courses in these hills. Some of them have been developed as a tourist attraction.
Chiang Rai Province
Chiang Rai is the northernmost province of Thailand. Neighbouring provinces are Phayao, Lampang and Chiang Mai. In the north it borders Shan State of Myanmar and Bokeo of Laos.-Geography:...
, Thailand
Thailand
Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...
. It is a karstic formation with numerous waterfalls and caves.
Location
Doi Nang Non consists of a long hill tract that lies on the western side of the highway between Chiang Rai and Mae Sai, extending west and south west of Pong Pha. The silhouette of the mountain range takes the shape of a reclining woman with long hair when seen from certain angles.Legend
The main local legend on how this land feature came into being says that there was once a beautiful young lady in the area whose husband went away but failed to come back at the expected time. His wife became anxious and waited, but time passed and he wouldn't come. Suddenly the woman thought that her husband might be lost and went out of the house to search for him. She wandered anxiously for days through fields and forests all across the region, but couldn't find him. However, the lady didn't give up and walked and walked until she could walk no more.At that point the young lady was so exhausted she fell down on her back. Looking at the sky she cried bitterly, finally dying of despair.
After her death the woman's ghost grew to a huge size and was covered by the surrounding earth, taking the shape of a sleeping lady (Nang Non; นางนอน) with her face looking skywards.
Tourism
There is a viewpoint at Amphoe Mae ChanAmphoe Mae Chan
Mae Chan is a district in the northern part of Chiang Rai Province, northern Thailand.-Geography:Neighboring districts are Mae Sai, Chiang Saen, Doi Luang, Mueang Chiang Rai and Mae Fa Luang of Chiang Rai Province....
(Mae Chan district), from where the "sleeping lady" can be observed best. Local tour guides like to joke that Doi Nang Non is "the highest mountain in the world", if the lady would get up and stand on her feet.
There are a number of caves and water courses in these hills. Some of them have been developed as a tourist attraction.
- Tum Luang is a cave inside the Doi Nang Non mountain massif with numerous stalactites and stalagmites. It is a very long cave with branches that go on for several kilometres.
- Khun Naam Naang Non is a natural pond into which water flows from the rocks above. This water is said to be the tears of the lady's ghost.
See also
- Doi TungDoi TungDoi Tung , "Flag Mountain", is a mountain located in Chiang Rai Province, Thailand.-Location:While not the highest elevation of the province, the 1389 m high Doi Tung rises steeply, standing quite isolated close to the Thailand-Burma border. It is located in the area known as "Golden...
- List of mountains in Thailand
- Other mountain formations in the world by the name of The Sleeping LadyThe Sleeping Lady-Mountains:The Sleeping Lady is a nickname for the following mountains:*Western United States :...
:- Kong Rei, Cambodia
- Mount TamalpaisMount TamalpaisMount Tamalpais is a peak in Marin County, California, United States, often considered symbolic of Marin County. Much of Mount Tamalpais is protected within public lands such as Mount Tamalpais State Park and the Mount Tamalpais Watershed.-Geography:...
, near San Francisco, California. - Mount SusitnaMount SusitnaMount Susitna is a mountain in the U.S. state of Alaska. It is located on the west bank of the lower Susitna River, about northwest of Anchorage, Alaska...
, near Anchorage, Alaska. - IztaccíhuatlIztaccíhuatlIztaccíhuatl , is the third highest mountain in Mexico, after the Pico de Orizaba, , and Popocatépetl, . Its name is Nahuatl for "White woman"....
, Mexico