Chiang Mai, founded in 1296, and the one time capital of the Kingdom of Lanna (currently the capital of Chiang Mai Province) is home to a mind boggling number of Buddhist temples. Over 300, to be vaguely exact. Each wat is unique, and many are easily accessible by foot, located within the moated confines of Old Town, while others are tucked away off winding roads (or on mountaintops) on the outskirts of the city.
In a flurry of excitement during the planning of out trip I had drawn up an immense wish list of temples that I hoped to visit during our time in Chiang Mai…but our plans changed quickly once we arrived and began to wander through the crowds in the heat of the day. We decided to abandon the list lest we suffer burn out, instead taking a very casual approach to our appreciation of Buddhist architecture. What follows is a little photo journal of my favourites from the (almost) dozen that we did end up visiting. In the end, we missed out on a few of the more famous temples, but with all of the other wonderful adventures to be had in Chiang Mai, we were hardly disappointed. Sometimes it’s good to just let yourself go…
Wat Phrathat Doi Suthep
Dating back to 1383, and considered to be Chiang Mai’s most famous temple, this wat is perched on top of Doi Suthep a few kilometers from the center of the city. Walk up the 309 steps and soak in the impressive views of the valley (if you are lucky enough to be visiting on a clear day). Entrance fee: 30 baht.
Wat Jet Lin
Built in the 16th century, this quiet wat located in town offers a relaxing little spot where you can buy a cup of coffee, sit for a while and gaze out over a lily pond…
Wat Phan Tao
Wat Phan Tao literally translates to “the monastery of a thousand kilns” and refers to the fact that it was the site where all of the Buddha images for Wat Chedi Luang were cast. A beautiful structure, built completely out of teak, this temple was originally built as a royal dwelling for Chao Mahawong, who used the space from 1846-1854. In 1876, it was refurbished and transformed into a monastery, although remnants of its origins still remain (check out the large carving of a peacock standing over a dog above the front entryway- a nod to the astrological sign of the original inhabitant.)
Wat Sumpow
Wat Saimoonmuang
Wat Sri Suphan
This temple was founded in 1502 under King Mengrai, and has since gone through many reconstructions, leaving little of the original structure intact. The most recent redesign occurred in 2004, under the direction of abbot Phra Kru Phithatsuthikun, which involved covering every inch of the building with intricately crafted zinc alloy…with silver being reserved for the fabrication of holy images. The temple also hosts silver crafting workshops so that the traditions of the village can be passed on. In a country where many of the temples are decorated with gold and mosaic, Wat Sri Suphan is truly unique and completely stunning.
Beautiful photos
Thanks! 😉
Lara, I’m happy to have found your post about Chiang Mai. My wife and I will be staying there in the fall and definitely have the temples in mind for visiting. 300, huh? What a boggling number and it must have made your decisions difficult on which ones to cut and which to visit.
Even though you mention that Wat Phrathat Doi Suthep is considered the most famous, I find the story behind Wat Phan Tao most interesting. I’m a sucker for historical remnants and places where tons of Buddhas were cast.
On a side note, I read somewhere (maybe in Lonely Planet) that there are also tons of bookshops in CM and was wondering if you can attest to their prevalence and how good they were. Just wondering if you had any personal views on them, is all.
Thanks for sharing this and your thoughts on what seems to be a wonderful place.
Take care Lara.
Thanks for ‘swinging by’! …yes, I have to say that Wat Phrathat Doi Suthep was not my favourite temple in spite of it being considered the most famous. Maybe if the air quality had been better, and we could have admired an awesome view, I might have been more wowed. Make sure you guys are dressed “appropriately’ if you visit and want to go inside, otherwise your hike up the 300+ stairs will be all for naught! Wat Phan Tao and Wat Sri Suphan were definitely my top faves from the ones we visited. I did not notice an abundance of bookstores in Chiang Mai…curious now, and wondering if they were all huddled together on one street?! I had also read (prior to our trip) that there were lots of gallery cafes- on Nimmanhemin Road, I believe- (which was of interest to me as an artist…I always like to support…) but we didn’t end up at any of these either! In all honesty, after a day wandering the hot pavement in the Old Town section admiring as many Wats as we could handle, we spent the remainder of our time having adventures on the outskirts of town on motorbike, only coming back into town to eat in the evenings when the temperatures went down. I hope you and your wife have a blast during your autumn visit…how many days will you guys be staying?