Mae Salong (Santikhiri)
แม่สลอง (สันติคีรี)
A Yunnanese Chinese village on a ridge at 1,200 metres. Descendants of the Kuomintang's 93rd Division have grown tea here for six decades. Oolong tea gardens, Yunnanese food and sea-of-clouds mornings make it northern Thailand's most distinctive scenery.
Mae Salong lies in the mountains of Mae Fa Luang district, about 70 km northwest of Chiang Rai city, at an altitude of about 1,200 metres. Its official name is Santikhiri, the Mountain of Peace. The village was settled in 1961 by remnants of the Kuomintang's 93rd Division, which retreated from Burma into Thailand, and by their families. Most residents are Yunnanese Chinese, and Mandarin and the Yunnanese dialect are spoken. The village has a Chinese school, a Guan Gong temple and a 93rd Division memorial hall. After giving up poppy cultivation in the 1980s, the villagers, with support from the Royal Project, switched to oolong tea varieties introduced from Taiwan, China. Today the hillsides are covered with neatly pruned tea gardens, and the area is known as 'Little Switzerland of Thailand' or 'Little Yunnan'.
Highlights include the tea houses along the main street on the ridge, where you can taste tea for free. Qingxin oolong, Jin Xuan and tea cakes are the specialties. There are also Yunnanese noodle shops and restaurants serving tofu, cured pork and Yunnan ham. On the eastern side of the village is the tomb of General Duan Xiwen. On the western hilltop is the King and Queen Mother Memorial Chedi (Phra Boromathat Chedi), where you can climb up for views over the tea mountains and clouds. Large tea gardens such as 101 Tea Garden let you walk between the rows for photos. The morning market sells mountain produce from Akha and Lisu villagers. From late December to January, wild cherry blossoms (Thai sakura) bloom on the mountain, making it the liveliest season. Entry to the village is free, and the 93rd Division memorial hall costs about 30 baht.
Game plan: it is best to stay a night, as the village has several Chinese-style guesthouses. Enjoy the sunset in the evening, and the sea of clouds over the tea gardens in the morning. A day trip from Chiang Rai takes about 4 hours of driving round trip and is often combined with the Golden Triangle or Doi Tung.
Getting there: a one-day car charter from Chiang Rai costs about 2,000 to 2,500 baht. By public transport, change at Mae Chan to a yellow songthaew, which takes about 1 hour. There are few departures, and none after 4 pm.
Note: the mountain roads are winding, so bring motion-sickness medicine if needed. Wear a thick jacket on winter nights, as it gets cold. The tea gardens are privately owned, so please stay on the paths. There are few ATMs, so bring cash.
Opening hours
All day
Nearby sights
- Choui Fong Tea Plantation
- Doi Tung Royal Villa & Mae Fah Luang Garden
- Wat Huay Pla Kang
- Khun Korn Waterfall
- Tham Pla (Fish Cave), Mae Sai
- Baan Dam Museum (Black House)
- Mae Fah Luang Art and Culture Park
- Wat Phra That Doi Chom Thong