by April, 1296, King Mengrai had constructed a new capital on the opposite bank of the Ping River, which he named Chiang Mai. Translating to “new city,” Chiang Mai was built on higher ground and used a large pond to receive the excess of flood water.
For the next 250 years, these two cities coexisted peacefully under Lanna and Burmese reigns. Then, at some point between 1558-1594, the Ping River changed directions and Wiang Kum Kam was buried under a rooftop of mud and sludge.
Over the centuries, the town’s existence became something of a Lanna legend and many questioned if it ever actually existed.