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Mae
Salong Golden
Triangle
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Mae Salong, Thailand outdoor,
golden triangle,
Thai hill tribes |
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Mae
Salong,
close to Chiang Rai is a popular destination for outdoor
activities in northern Thailand. It’s a great little village
with a dominant Chinese population and the famous Thai
hilltribes such as Akha , Lisu and other. There are some
possibilities to get to the town, one of it is via Chiang
Dao, in this area is the third highest mountain in the
country actually this are rather hills, mountains start at
around 2000m.
Until a couple of years ago the “Golden Triangle” which is
around this area and behind the border in Myanmar was
infamous as a opium poppy growing area and opium production
which is not done on the Thai side anymore, they managed to
get rid of the plants, but it’s still on on the Burmese
side. At the Burmese side they also gave up most and turned
to synthetic drug production.
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The old smuggling trekking routes between here and Myanmar have been
taken over by tourist and outdoor
enthusiasts. Mae Salong is home of
descendants from Kuomintang soldiers who fled Mao’s
soldiers after they were beaten. It’s all nice
typical Chinese, probably the most interesting
around are the small Buddha Shrines, temple and
Taoist Shrines, which have an exotic and mystic
flavor. On the slopes are terraced tea plantations,
all looks very idyllic, this is home of Oolong green
tea a very well known tea in the country.
Plenty of things to
see and to do, not far away is Mae Sai where lots of
people cross the river every day into “The Golden
Triangle” and the center of which is Tachilek in
Burma’s Shan State, home of the Shan people which
are ethnic Thais.
The Mekong River runs
through and there is a busy coming and going with
boots, ships, cars, scooters, trucks or just walking
its also big smuggling area.
This hilly area transforms slowly from a drug
production area to normal business, agriculture and
tourism.
Myanmar agriculture
is very strong in Shan State, but this is a
different sort of agriculture as they have in the
low lands along the
Irrawaddy, because
of the height and climate temperate fruits, plants
and flowers are raised e.g. beautiful Lilies. |
Golden triangle Mae Salong Hill tribes Lady with
silver, chewing
betel. |
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The natural extension is
to download our unique e-book on
southern Thailand where you will find much more content and a lot of
exiting full scale pictures. You can have a look on the screen and if
you like you can print all content on any desktop printer, ...more
e-book |
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