As I said in my post here, Chiang Mai is home to over 300 Buddhist temples! With that being said, it can definitely be overwhelming to decide where to go first and which ones to skip seeing. This is one event that my husband and I didn’t plan on our recent trip to Thailand. We checked into our hotel, dropped off our luggage and just started walking around. We quickly found temples to explore and discovered which ones deserved more attention.
Here are a few that should be a MUST on your list:
Wat Chedi Luang
This temple left my husband and I in awe each time we saw the main pagoda. Sitting in the centre of the city, we passed by this almost every day and from our hotel balcony we could see the very top of the pagoda. Wat Chedi Luang is one of the most well known temples within the city walls. Construction of Wat Chedi Luang began in the 14th century and wasn’t fully finished until the mid-15th century. This temple used to be home to the Emerald Buddha, which holds incredible significance to the Buddhists as it is considered a protective image for the Kingdom of Thailand. An earthquake in 1545 caused the upper structure of the Wat to collapse causing the Emerald Buddha to be moved in 1551. The southern face of the temple has five elephant sculptures, four of which are reproductions since most were destroyed during the earthquake but one original elephant still remains. Another awesome reason to visit Wat Chedi Luang is the monk chats that occur every day. Tourists are able to talk one on one with the monks and ask anything about Buddhism or Thailand.
There are more sites to see here than just this historic pagoda - the Wat Chedi Luang Worawihan is definitely a site you don’t want to miss. With beautiful and intricate gold details on the front entrance you feel immediately drawn in. And once you get inside, prepare to be stunned! Sparkling gold chandeliers above doesn’t even begin to describe how amazing this ordination hall is. Here you will find many tourists kneeling towards the back end of the hall while observing the monks during their meditation practice.
Wat Sri Suphan - The Silver Temple
Located within the silver-making district and outside of the city walls, Wat Sri Suphan contains silver, nickel and aluminum panels covering both the inside and outside walls. Beautiful and ornate designs made by local silversmiths can be seen and admired while walking around the perimeter of the temple. And yes - walking around the perimeter is all that I was able to do. No women are allowed to enter the ubosot, or main ordination hall, due to the belief that detonation of the site and the women can both occur. Walking up to temple you’ll quickly be greeted by a sign stating,
"Beneath the base of Ubosotha in the monastic boundary, many precious things, incantations, amulets and other holy objects > were buried 500 years ago. Entering inside the place may deteriorated the place or otherwise the lady herself. According to this > Lanna Belief, ladies are not allowed to enter the Ubosotha."
My husband was able to take a look inside and was fascinated by the different details and murals within the Ubosotha. It is said that many of these murals are to represent the mix of Taoist, Zen and Theravada Buddhist elements. There are also Ganesha statues in gold to show the crossover between Hinduism and Buddhism in Thailand which is definitely evident once you are seeing more and more of Thailand.
Wat Phra Singh
Wat Phra Singh is located in the western part of the old city and its definitely a site that you can follow the crowds to. There are many sites to see on the grounds of Wat Phra Sing — Wihan Luang being one of the largest, Wihan Lai Kham being the main attraction due to the presence of the famous Phra Buddha Sihing statue. At the entrance of the temple, you’ll find two Singhs, or lions, that serve a purpose of guarding the temple. However, this isn’t how the temple got its name. Instead “Wat Phra Singh” is just an abbreviation of "Phra-Put-Tha-Shi-Hing.” Instead, it got it’s name because the temple is the home to a very important Buddha statue: the Phra Buddha Sihing.
Wat Phra That Doi Suthep
Situated on the mountain of Doi Suthep, this Wat is probably one of the most visited temples in Chiang Mai. With breathtaking views of Chiang Mai, climbing up the 309 steps to reach the pagodas is well worth it. Once you are inside the temple grounds you’ll find multiple aspects drawn from both Buddhism and Hinduism within the pagodas, statues and shrines. This is definitely a site that is hard to even put into words due to the sheer fact that there are countless historical representations throughout and so many details that will leave you amazed.
Wat Chai Si Phum
My husband and I happened to stumble upon Wat Chai Si Phum while enjoying a walk through the Si Phum district of Chiang Mai. I was surprised because the temple grounds were practically empty and part of me even wondered if we should be there or not but I’m SO glad we discovered it. It is one of my favorite sights we saw during our whole trip. Maybe the calmness and tranquility of being able to observe it without crowds of people added to that. Just by looking at pictures I took, I’m sure anyone can tell how amazing this Wat is.
All the temples we saw in Chiang Mai were amazing and deserve attention -- but these are my top favorites and I'm sure you can see why through the photos. Thailand is a beautiful country that has been able to truly preserve it's culture and I think that is something to be admired and appreciated.