The village of Bor Sang

Posted by paul on June 11th, 2009 filed in Attractions, Day trips, tourist tips

Located within less than seven miles from Chiang Mai, Bor Sang is also known as the “Umbrella Village” and the many, just hand-painted, brightly coloured umbrellas that are drying in front of the numerous shops create a nice scenery.

The houses in the village are shops as well and besides umbrellas they sell many more handicraft products such as wind chimes, woodcarvings, handbags, jewellery, furniture and antiques.

The famous umbrellas are made from bamboo and Sa paper. It is truly rewarding to see how the skilled locals along the village’s tiny lanes create the country’s most famous umbrellas. For more than two centuries Bor Sang has been associated with the making of Sa paper umbrellas. Sa paper is made from mulberry tree bark.

At first the production of umbrellas was nothing more than a hobby that kept villagers busy after the annual rice crop. However, they also earned some extra income selling the umbrellas. More and more people wanted to buy the decorative umbrellas and in 1941 the villagers founded a handicraft cooperative.  

Thai handicrafts wholesale