Licán Ray
|
Licán Ray Lican-Ray (Stone Flower) |
|
|---|---|
| Town | |
| Coordinates: 39°29′15″S 72°09′28″W / 39.487415°S 72.157865°WCoordinates: 39°29′15″S 72°09′28″W / 39.487415°S 72.157865°W | |
| Country |
 Chile
|
| Region | Araucania |
| Province | Cautín |
| Municipalidad | Villarrica |
| Commune | Villarrica |
| Government | |
| • Type | Municipality |
| • Mayor | Pablo Astete |
| Population (2002 census) | |
| • Total | 7,200 (updated to 2,012) |
| Time zone | Chilean Standard (UTC−04:00) |
| • Summer (DST) | Chilean Daylight (UTC−03:00) |
| Area code(s) | Country + town = 56 + ? |
| Website | villarrica.org |
Licán Ray is a Chilean town and resort area, located on the north shore of Calafquén Lake, 27 kilometres from the town of Villarica, within the commune of Villarrica, Cautín Province, Araucanía Region. It is a busy tourist centre with a population of 7,200 (measured in the 2002 census and updated in 2012). The town’s name comes from Mapudungun, the language of Chile’s indigenous Mapuche people, and means “Stone Flower”. The name can be written in different ways, such as Lican Ray, Licanray or Licán-Ray.
Legend has it that Licán Ray, or “Stone Flower” in Mapudungun, was the name of the daughter of the powerful Cacique Carilef. Licán Ray fell in love with a Spanish sailor and the two fled from the fury of her father and community to one of the islands in the Calafquén Lake. They hid on the island for days until cold weather forced them to make a fire, which betrayed their location and forced them to escape to a more distant island. Every time they made a fire to cope with the cold, however, their persecutors found them and they had to sail to another of the 11 islands, until eventually the persecutors lost their trail. The place was then named of Licán Ray in the daughter’s memory. The town has no official foundation date, though it is popularly believed that activity began on this shore in the 1930s and it was registered in the property records of the city of Valdivia on February 15, 1944. In 1942, the government loaned some land to the State Train Company, which harvested oak wood to use as railroad ties. The activities of this company brought some life to the town, providing transportation across the lake in the ship it used to transport its products and materials. By 1948, having used up the nearby reserves of oak, the company left the town. Although a second, private company came to replace it and exploit the wood of the area, it only lasted until 1952. After this, the economy of the town decayed. Plans to build a dam almost left the town 14 metres underwater but the decision was changed after the 1960 Valdivia earthquake. Instead, the was built in 1962 in Pullinque Lake. In 1966, the government sold or gave away to build houses and tourist accommodation in order to improve the local economy and develop the area. In 1990, the road that connects Villarrica with Licán Ray was finally tarmacked, giving an extra push to the local tourism industry.
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Wikipedia