Lanna's new capital soon became an important cultural and religious centre and remained so for several centuries. The city was laid out over roughly a square mile, temples were built (Wat Chiang Man, dating back to the early 14th century, still remains and Wat Phra Singh followed in 1345), and the distinctive moat and bastions were added. The wealth of the kingdom left behind legacies such as Wat Suan Dawk, with its towering chedis and Wat Jet Yod, which was built for the Eight World Buddhist council in 1477.
Chiang Mai and the greater Lanna Kingdom reached its zenith under King Tilokarat in the middle of the 16th century, expanding east as far as present day Nan province, south to Sukhothai and as far north as the present Myanmar/China border. It was during his reign that Chedi Luang was completed, towering an astonishing 96 metres. Despite an earthquake in 1545, which brought it down to 42 metres, it remained the tallest structure in the city until the 1950s.
Between the 16th and 18th centuries Chiang Mai lacked effective leadership, which resulted in a series of invasions and occupations from Burma and Ayutthaya, and control of the city remained elusive to the people of Lanna for over 200 years, despite multiple attempts to recapture the city. At one point the city was even evacuated and nearly deserted. Control of Chiang Mai was briefly returned to the Northern Kingdom between 1727 and 1763, but was to be conquered by the Burmese one last time.
The period of Burmese occupation finally ended in 1774, when King Taksin (Rama I) of Thonburi (Bangkok) realised the necessity of driving the foreigners out of Lanna to prevent them from further attacking Siam. King Taksin sent forces under Chao Kawila, a jâo meuang (nobleman) from Lampang, who finally sent the Burmese packing.
Following the capture of Chiang Mai, Taksin appointed Kawila as the city's viceroy. Under his leadership the city went from strength to strength, with the reconstruction (c. 1800) of the monumental brick walls that are still standing to this day, and the establishment of a river port at the end of what is today Thapae Road. During this period Chiang Mai entered into prosperous trade relations with Burma and China.
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