Doi Tung
Encyclopedia
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...
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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 TriangleGolden Triangle (Southeast Asia)
The Golden Triangle is one of Asia's two main illicit opium-producing areas. It is an area of around that overlaps the mountains of four countries of Southeast Asia: Burma, Vietnam, Laos, and Thailand. Along with Afghanistan in the Golden Crescent and Pakistan, it has been one of the most...
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Description
Most of the bedrock of the mountain is limestoneLimestone
Limestone is a sedimentary rock composed largely of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of calcium carbonate . Many limestones are composed from skeletal fragments of marine organisms such as coral or foraminifera....
and granite. The vegetation below c. 1,000 m is mostly deciduous
Deciduous
Deciduous means "falling off at maturity" or "tending to fall off", and is typically used in reference to trees or shrubs that lose their leaves seasonally, and to the shedding of other plant structures such as petals after flowering or fruit when ripe...
forest and evergreen above this height.
There are spectacular views of both Burma and Thailand from the top of this mountain. Shan, Akha and Lahu
Lahu
The Lahu are an ethnic group of Southeast Asia and China.They are one of the 56 ethnic groups officially recognized by the People's Republic of China, where about 450,000 live in Yunnan province. An estimated 150,000 live in Burma. In Thailand, Lahu are one of the six main hill tribes; their...
tribal villages are located on the mountain sides.
The Wat Phra That Doi Tung temple is on top of the hill. According to the chronicles, this Buddhist place of worship dates back to the year 911. It is an important pilgrimage spot for the devout.
Doi Tung Royal Villa
The Doi Tung royal villa, former residence of the Late Princess mother (mother of the present king) Somdej Phra SrinagarindraSrinagarindra
Srinagarindra was a member of the Thai Royal Family and was a member of House of Mahidol, which is descended from Chakri Dynasty, originated by Prince Mahidol Adulyadej, the Prince of Songkla, son of King Chulalongkorn...
is also located high up on the hill.
Thanks to Princess mother's interest and encouragement the hills were reforested. She was also instrumental in fighting against the opium trade, as a result the local hill tribes stopped growing poppies
Opium poppy
Opium poppy, Papaver somniferum, is the species of plant from which opium and poppy seeds are extracted. Opium is the source of many opiates, including morphine , thebaine, codeine, papaverine, and noscapine...
and began to grow other crops.
The royal Villa was originally built as a summer residence for the Late Princess Mother and now houses a museum and displaying her work to improve the life quality of local tribal people.
The Mae Fah Luang Gardens are a botanical park located on the slopes below the royal villa. Flowers and plants grow among rock formations.