Three Kings Monument

Sculpted in bronze, the monument depicts Mengrai the Great, first ruler of the Lanna kingdom, flanked by King Ramkhamhaeng of Sukhothai and King Ngam Muang of Phayao.

Mengrai and Ngam Muang met when Mengrai attempted an invasion of Ngam Muang’s domains: instead, they became friends. The royal trio was completed when Mengrai was called upon to settle a dispute between Ngam Muang and Ramkhamhaeng when the latter seduced the former’s wife.

The three kings swore eternal friendship, and went on to lay plans to unite the whole of the north, beginning with Mon Haripunjaya and extending as far as Mae Hong Son, where Mengrai married the daughter of a local king. For the first time in history, the northern races of the Tai, Yuan and Mon were united under one banner.

The Three Kings Monument is set in the city’s most important square in front of the Chiang Mai City Arts and Cultural Centre. The site was home to the first royal palaces and buildings of the fledgling Lanna kingdom, and continued in significance as the administrative center of the region until 1997, when a new City Hall was built outside the old city walls.

The square is often used for cultural events and concerts, so it’s worth checking to see if anything will be happening there during your visit. It gets very busy on a Sunday with overspill from the nearby Walking Street on Ratchadamnoen Road.