Cobra beautifully executed in wood carvings from the north of Thailand. (Artwork!)

Fantastic wood carvings from the northern Thai city of Chiang Mai.
Chiang Mai or Chiengmai (Thai: เชียงใหม่), is the capital of the Thai province of Chiang Mai. The place is located about 700 km north of Bangkok between the highest mountains in the country. The Ping River flows through the city and is a tributary of the Menam. In recent years, the city has been modernized at a rapid pace, but it is not such a metropolis as Bangkok. There are many reasons why thousands of tourists flock to the city every year, including the important strategic location of the Silk Road in the past. Later, the city became an important center for handicrafts, umbrellas, jewelery (mainly silver) and wood carvings. With more than 40 km², the city makes up just over a quarter of the Mueang Chiang Mai district (over 152 km²). The population in this area is approximately 150,000. In practice, the city continues to some neighboring districts (Mae Rim, San Sai, Doi Saket, San Kamphaeng, Saraphi and Han Dong). The population of the urban agglomeration thus formed amounts to approximately 700,000, almost half of the province of Chiang Mai.