Doi Nang Non

Doi Nang Non
ดอยนางนอน
Highest point
Elevation 1,276 m (4,186 ft) [1]
Listing List of mountain ranges in the world named The Sleeping Lady
Coordinates 20°21′06″N 99°50′30″E / 20.35167°N 99.84167°E / 20.35167; 99.84167Coordinates: 20°21′06″N 99°50′30″E / 20.35167°N 99.84167°E / 20.35167; 99.84167
Geography
Doi Nang Non

Thailand

Location Chiang Rai (Thailand)
Parent range Daen Lao Range
Geology
Mountain type karstic

Doi Nang Non (Thai: ดอยนางนอน), "Mountain of the Sleeping Lady", is an unusual land feature of the Thai highlands located in Chiang Rai Province, Thailand. It is a karstic formation part of the southern end of the Daen Lao Range 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. The greater part of the range is in Mae Sai District, extending west and south west of Pong Pha along the border with Myanmar.[2] The silhouette of the mountain range takes the shape of a reclining woman with long hair when seen from certain angles.

Legend

The main legend of Thai folklore on how this land feature came into being says that there was once a beautiful young princess in the area whose lover left her pregnant and went away. He gave her a ring and promised he would come back. The lady became anxious and waited, but time passed and her lover 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.

Then she realized that her lover had abandoned her and took off her engagement ring and threw it far away, so that it landed at Nong Waen (หนองแหวน) in Mae Chan Subdistrict.[3] At that point the young lady was so exhausted she fell down on her back with her head towards Doi Tung and her feet pointing at Doi Mae Salong. Looking at the sky she cried bitterly, finally dying of despair and a broken heart. 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. Her belly with her unborn baby inside became separated from her body and was turned into the nearby mountain of Doi Tung.[4]

Tourism

There is a viewpoint at Amphoe Mae Chan, Mae Chan District, from where the "sleeping lady" can be observed best.[5] 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.

See also

References

  1. ↑ Height
  2. ↑ Doi Nang Non (ดอยนางนอน) - Location
  3. ↑ Nong Waen - หนองแหวน
  4. ↑ Chiang Rai Treasure Map - Published by the Chiang Rai Cultural Office, 57000 Chiang Rai
  5. ↑ Doi Nang Non View Point

External links

This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the 5/25/2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.