Created as a tribute to Lanna architecture, embracing the natural surroundings and home to a rare collection of Northern Thai antiquities, the Mandarin Oriental Dhara Dhevi spreads over 60 acres of natural landscapes incorporating serene paddy fields and exotic plantations. Over 1,000 labourers and skilled craftsmen worked for 5 years to build the Dhara Dhevi resort in Chiang Mai, recreating an authentic collection of Lanna (Northern Thai) buildings fit for royalty including:
• A series of moats and fortified walls
• A central ceremonial lawn or parade ground
• A replica of an ancient Buddhist prayer hall
• A palace
• A market
• Villas or palaces for nobility
• Administrative headquarters
• Farming villages on the outskirts
• Gardens and rice fields
Conceptual designer Rachen Intawong – or ‘Tam’ as he is best known – played a pivotal part in the construction of Dhara Dhevi beginning with its inception in 2001. Many of his assistants include the former students of Dr Withi Phanichphant and the Faculty of Fine Arts, Chiang Mai University.