Have you ever wondered what stories lie beneath the ground? Well, today we’re exploring one of Chiang Mai’s hidden gems, the Den Damrongtham Cemetery. Not your average graveyard, this place is a fascinating snapshot into the history of the city’s expat community. It’s where Westerners, who came to Chiang Mai in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, found their final resting place.
The cemetery sits on a peaceful piece of land, and its history is as intriguing as its residents. You see, in the late 1800s, the British established a consulate here, and as their presence grew, so did the need for somewhere to bury their own. In 1898, King Rama V, the fifth king of Siam, made a generous gift to the British. He granted them 24 rai of land for a cemetery – a real privilege for foreigners at the time. You can’t own land in Thailand unless you are a Thai citizen, so the cemetery was truly a special privilege.
We are standing here as we speak, close to the grave of the first person ever buried here. It was a Major Edward Lainson Guilding, an officer in the Essex Regiment. He died in Chiang Mai in 1900 from dysentery, at just 43 years old. Today, his grave signifies the beginning of a long and varied history of people laid to rest in this cemetery.
Look around you, and you can see the headstones telling stories of people from all walks of life, traders, missionaries, soldiers, and even a few teak magnates. You see, during this time, Chiang Mai became a hub for the teak trade, and many foreigners flocked to the city to make their fortune. One intriguing detail: In 1901, following the death of Queen Victoria, her loyal subjects in Chiang Mai commissioned a bronze statue of her. They wanted to bring her back to Chiang Mai for a ceremony, but it was an epic journey. She traveled from London to Rangoon by ship, then by raft and elephant to Chiang Mai!
The cemetery is a testament to the past of Chiang Mai, and a fascinating place to explore the stories of the people who made this city what it is today. It’s a place of rest, a place of history, and a place for some, a place to reflect on the lives of those who came before.