| Doi Nang Non | |
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Doi Nang Non
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| Elevation | 830 m (2,723 ft) |
| Listing | Mountain formations in the world by the name of "The Sleeping Lady" |
| Location | |
| Range | Daen Lao Range |
| Geology | |
| Type | karstic |
| Climbing | |
| Easiest route | drive |
Doi Nang Non (Thai: ดอยนางนอน), "Mountain of the Sleeping Lady", is an unusual land feature of the Thai highlands located in Chiang Rai Province, Thailand. It is a karstic formation with numerous waterfalls and caves.
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Doi Nang Non consists of a long hill tract that lies on the western side of the highway between Chiang Rai and Mae Sai, extending west and south west of Pong Pha.[1] The silhouette of the mountain range takes the shape of a reclining woman with long hair when seen from certain angles.
The main local legend on how this land feature came into being says that there was once a beautiful young lady in the area whose husband went away but failed to come back at the expected time. His wife became anxious and waited, but time passed and he wouldn't come. Suddenly the woman thought that her husband might be lost and went out of the house to search for him. She wandered anxiously for days through fields and forests all across the region, but couldn't find him. However, the lady didn't give up and walked and walked until she could walk no more.
At that point the young lady was so exhausted she fell down on her back. Looking at the sky she cried bitterly, finally dying of despair. After her death the woman's ghost grew to a huge size and was covered by the surrounding earth, taking the shape of a sleeping lady (Nang Non; นางนอน) with her face looking skywards.
There is a viewpoint at Amphoe Mae Chan (Mae Chan district), from where the "sleeping lady" can be observed best.[2] Local tour guides like to joke that Doi Nang Non is "the highest mountain in the world", if the lady would get up and stand on her feet.
There are a number of caves and water courses in these hills. Some of them have been developed as a tourist attraction.