One day I had a call from vice-professor Chusit Choochart, a lecturer in history of the Chiang Mai Rajabhat University. Archarn Chusit has written research papers and historical books about the Chinese immigrants in Chiang Mai. He invited me to join a visual education class of students of the tourism business program to the old town’s trading area of Chiang Mai.J
  Winds of change are like the flowing river, but the memories of Wat Gate community, which is located on the Bamrungrat Road on the eastside of the River Ping, have not been eroded. Many stories remain in each building, and they contribute to the complex history of the northern city’s oldest communities.

  The summer breeze gently blew from the river, a pleasant feeling, and there was less traffic than usual on the road. We stopped for a rest at a waterside public park, its green grass spreading along the Ping River.
  I noticed most of the restaurants along the river featured the impressive architecture of 100-year-old homes as a selling point. We crossed the road from the Good View restaurant to look at a big colonial-style villa built by Burmese owners. These days the home has been converted into a guest house called Le Pong, “The Bridge” in French.
  Then we arrived at the old Wat Gate community. During the prosperous times of waterway trading between Chiang Mai and Bangkok, people from different cultures and religions migrated to Chiang Mai to settle along the river. These immigrants included Chinese traders, US missionaries, English logging traders, and Muslims and Sikhs from Panjab province in India.

  Some houses are hidden behind modern buildings. Sometimes we couldn’t see them at all from the road. “However, it is a good thing the Fine Arts Department has registered all antique houses of the Wat Gate community as historical structures,” said Prof Chusit.
  The Gallery Restaurant is one of the most elegant structures in town. The house was built in 1889 by a Chinese contractor, and its most beautiful feature is a fine bas-relief at the entrance. A Lanna-style wooden house lies at the back of the building. It was used as a warehouse for many years until 1989, when the building underwent massive renovation to turn it into a restaurant and art gallery.
  Our next stop was Ban Tha Chang, which means Elephant Pier House, because this house is located close to the place where elephants used to bathe in the river. Today, the house has been converted into a riverside restaurant.
  The temple along the road to see many buildings with exquisite architecture and hearing dramatic stories as we went, we made the next stop at Wat Gate itself, of everything that is typical of northern sanctuaries. In the temple grounds is another very old structure-the old abbot’s residence, which now houses a small Historical Museum. It displays antique, everyday items covering the last 100 years, including rare antiques, old money, fabric and photographs of old Chiang Mai, mostly taken by missionaries. The museum was founded by Jarin Bain or Uncle Jack, a senior citizen of mixed Thai-English descent, whose father was the first manager of British Borneo, the logging company.

  After a long walk around the neighbourhood, our stomachs were ready for food. Archan Chusit recommended Karim, a Chinese-Muslim restaurant in a small alley leading to the mosque opposite the Islamic school. “Muslim people are part of the history, too. They originally came from Pakistan into northern Thailand at the Burmese border, but then Chinese Muslims also came from Yunnan,” explained the professor.
  From a back street behind the temple, we again found the main road. We followed the guide to Great Grandfather’s House, a two-storey teak home that was renovated and now is known as Regina guesthouse.
  As I strolled along, I noticed many elegant buildings that are shops selling boutique products and household accessories. There are also art galleries.
  We passed the old fisherman’s village, and we ended at the old home of Dr Sukit Nimmanhemin. Dr Sukit was once minister of education and his descendants have preserved his house well. I thanked Archarn Chusit, who had been such an informative guide. For me, it was a memorable trip.