Chiang Mai’s Moat is a Magical Water Feature
Moats were once a part of many cities’ defensive features. Along with walls, they were what kept the baddies out. Chiang Mai has seen its share of baddies since it was founded 1200 years ago and, sure enough, Chiang Mai still has fragments of the old wall around its perimeter. But it’s one of the rare cities that has a real, functioning moat.
I say ‘functioning’ because it still fulfills another function that moats were used for: food. Chiang Mai’s moat is also a fish farm. In fact one corner of the moat has been called “Fish Trap Corner” for centuries. And guess what? Kids still trap fish there! And give them to their mothers who grill them over charcoal by the moat and sell the tasty morsels to unsuspecting farangs.
The moat is exactly 1 statute mile square, which makes it great for joggers who want to keep track of time and distance.