ABOUT THE LOCATION
The Khuang Singh or "Lion Terrace" (ข่วงสิงห์) is a monument built by the infamous Jao Kawila back in 1801 after succesfully driving out the Burmese rulers and freeing the Kingdom of Chiang Mai.
The two lions were then set up as guardian figures of Chiang Mai. They were erected with the intention of impressing invaders and frightening them away from the city. It is thought that the lions were a symbol of superpower, deliberately placed on the main Burmese invasion route to Chiang Mai, as a warning and threat to the attacking armies.
They apparently worked. After their construction no Burmese army was ever again to succeed in capturing Chiang Mai. Of course, the lions may have been helped in their noble purpose by the city's new fortifications, completed by Kawila one year earlier in 1800.
Enjoy the quietness of this forgotten landmark and the Chinese cemetary next door. And be sure to bring a pen!