Chiang Mai and the Sacred Mountain of Doi Suthep for World Heritage Nomination

You are cordially invited to attend the lecture by Dr. Worrasit Tantinipankul:

Chiang Mai and the Sacred Mountain of Doi Suthep for World Heritage Nomination

Thursday, 14 August 2025
2:00- 3:30 pm

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This lecture provides a historical and geographical overview of the historic town of Chiang Mai and its relationship to the mountainous environment. The draft proposal for Chiang Mai’s nomination to the World Heritage List serves as a concise description of the city, highlighting its key cultural and historical significance—factors that could position it on the global map of heritage cities. Comparative studies with other historic cities in Asia are essential for tracing Chiang Mai’s morphological patterns and those of urban settlements across the region, highlighting the uniqueness of Chiang Mai’s urban form.

Moreover, a comparative analysis between Doi Suthep in Thailand and Mount Yoshino-Omine in the Kii Mountain Range in Japan—a sacred Buddhist site with pilgrimage routes designated as a UNESCO World Heritage site—further emphasizes the role of Buddhist practices in Chiang Mai and their profound connection to its indigenous heritage.

Dr. Worrasit Tantinipankul is a registered architect and landscape architect in Thailand. He is currently teaching in the Landscape Architecture and Integrated Design in Emerging Architecture (International) Programs at the Faculty of Architecture, Chiang Mai University, and also serves as the faculty’s Associate Dean for Research and International Affairs. His research focuses on the heritage study of historic districts and old towns in Thailand and Southeast Asia. He has received numerous research grants, including those from Thailand’s Ministry of Education Research University Fund, the National Research Council of Thailand, and the U.S. Ambassador Fund for Cultural Preservation.

This lecture is a part of the MLA Y2 Option Studio LA5701 “Politics of Conservation: Navigating Socio-ecological Territories of Chiang Mai”, led by Dr. Xiaoxuan Lu.