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Combining tumbledown ruins with sweeping Mekong River scenery, CHIANG SAEN , 60km northeast of Chiang Rai, makes a rustic haven and a good base camp for the border region east of Mae Sai. Coveted for its strategic location, guarding the Mekong, Chiang Saen was passed back and forth between the kings of Burma and Thailand for nearly three hundred years until Rama I razed the place to the ground in 1804. The present town was resettled in 1881. The National Museum (March-Dec Wed-Sun 9am-4pm; Jan & Feb daily 8.30am-4.30pm; B30) makes an informative starting point, housing some impressive locally cast Buddha images and architectural features rescued from the ruins, as well as rural artefacts. Wat Phra That Chedi Luang , originally the city's main temple, is worth looking in on next door for its imposing, overgrown octagonal chedi. Beyond the ramparts to the west, Wat Pa Sak 's restored brick buildings and laterite columns make this the most impressive of Chiang Saen's many temples (B30). The central chedi owes its eclectic shape largely to the grand temples of Pagan in Burma and displays some beautiful carved stucco decoration.
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