Chiang Mai is the center of many craft businesses - silk, lacquer ware, woodwork & teak furniture, silver, and jewelry.  We were able to take a short tour of some of these industries.

    Silk starts with silkworms - and lots of fresh mulberry leaves!  When they are mature and ready to spin their cocoons, the worms are transferred to this rack for them to build their new 'homes'.

    When the cocoons are ready, they are boiled and the silk is then gathered and spun into thread.  After the thread is dyed and treated, it's woven into fabric. 

    This lady is applying crushed eggshell onto lacquer ware - which turns out to be a very attractive decorative technique!  Note that both white and brown eggshells are being used.

    The guys are pounding and shaping silver into bowls.  What a slow and tedious process.  The lady is tapping decorative patterns into a larger bowl - yet another slow and tedious process!  What skill and patience!

    Here we see all the small pieces of wood being prepared for insertion into inlayed furniture.  The resulting furniture is quite impressive!