Lampang

The trip one hundred kilometres down the super-highway to Lampang takes you back to a quieter, slower-moving era, symbolised by the horse-carriage 'taxis' clip-clopping through the streets there. Lampang's mascot is the White Rooster image standing at the City Gate. Townspeople say that during one of the Buddha's legendary visits to the North, the King of the Gods, Indra, concerned that people might not wake in time to welcome the Great Being, took the form of the bird and crowed his warning. Apart from its many his¬toric temples, Lampang is also famous for its handicrafts (available at local shops) and fruit production. Its elephant training centre and hospital, 38 kms. out of the city, is well worth visiting and has a program that allows you to see the great beasts at their best.