Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
(Th Phra Pokklao; donations appreciated; 6am-6pm)
This pretty little temple evokes mist-
shrouded forests and the largess of the teak trade, and the large, old teak
wí·hăhn
(sanctu-
ary) here is one of Chiang Mai's unsung treasures.
Wat Chiang Man
BUDDHIST TEMPLE
(Th Ratchaphakhinai; donations appreciated; 6am-6pm)
Wat Chiang Man is believed to be the
oldest wát within the city walls and was erected by King Mengrai, Chiang Mai's founder,
in 1296. Two famous Buddha images (Phra Sila and the Crystal Buddha) are kept here in
a glass cabinet inside the smaller sanctuary to the right of the main chapel.
Temples Outside Town
Wat Doi Suthep
(Doi Suthep-Pui National Park; admission 30B)
One of Thailand's most famous temples, Wat
Suthep overlooks the whole city from its mountainside perch. The temple contains many
fine examples of Lanna art and architecture as well as the frequently photographed gold-
plated
chedi,
topped by a five-tiered umbrella and enshrining a famous Buddha relic.
BUDDHIST TEMPLE
Wat U Mong
(Soi Wat U Mong, Th Khlong Chonprathan; donations appreciated; 6am-6pm)
The forest temple of
Wat U Mong, dating from Mengrai's rule, has brick-lined tunnels supposedly fashioned
around 1380 for a clairvoyant monk; some are still open for exploration.
BUDDHIST TEMPLE
Wat Suan Dok
(Th Suthep; donations appreciated; 6am-6pm)
Built in a forest grove in 1373, Wat Suan Dok
contains a 500-year-old bronze Buddha image and colourful
jataka
(past-life stories of the
Buddha) murals, but the scenic sunsets over the collection of royal
chedi
are the biggest
attraction.
BUDDHIST TEMPLE
Museums
Lanna Folklife Museum
MUSEUM
(Th Phra Pokklao; adult/child 90/40B; 8.30am-5pm Tue-Sun)
Life-size dioramas explain north-
ern Thai religious beliefs and customs, temple paraphernalia and symbolism, traditional
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