Chiang Saen

Chiang Saen stands on the western bank of the Mekong, near the mouth of the Kok River. Its walls enclosed a northern Tai town whose position gave it access to the river and to routes through the surrounding valleys. Saen Phu, a grandson of Mangrai, founded the city in the early fourteenth century, and its temples and brick stupas reflect its place in the Buddhist culture of Lan Na.

After the Burmese conquest of Lan Na, Chiang Saen remained an important stronghold on the Mekong. In 1804 Siamese forces and their northern allies, including Kawila of Chiang Mai, captured it after a siege. The conquerors dispersed its inhabitants to other towns, and the old city was left largely deserted. Its ruined fortifications and religious monuments recalled the power once held by this river settlement.