Founded as a training camp for elephants by the Royal Family in the early 19th century, Mae Hong Son, the City of Three Mists, is located in the northwestern region of Thailand. The province, bordering Myanmar (Burma), has the lowest population density in the Kingdom with half of the peoples belonging to ethnic hilltribes, the Karen being the largest of these groups. Architecturally, temples (wats) in Mae Hong Son province differ markedly from those elsewhere in the country due to a strong Shan (Burmese) influence.