Everyone that's visiting Chiang Mai must have heard about the amount of mountains surrounding one of Thailand's biggest cities. The most commonly known one is Doi Suthep along with its temple. Many people often think that the temple is called Doi Suthep as well, while in fact the name of the temple is Wat Phra That. This scenic, peaceful and to many people religious area is said to be founded in 1383 when the first stupa was built.
According to legend, King Nu Naone of Lanna placed a piece of relic on the white elephant who was then believed to hike up the mountain and place it at the current spot. The story is that he then stopped, trumpeted three times and dropped dead. The king then saw this as an omen and ordered his people to build a temple and so today's temple came to its existence.
The temple is nowadays preserved as a Theravada Buddhist temple, which is the most common form of Buddhism to be found in Thailand. However, when you walk around the temple area you'll find Hindu influences as well such as the Hindu God Ganesh. Before reaching the temple there are stairs containing of 309 steps. Both ends of the stairs are guarded by dragons, showing a Chinese influence on the architecture. At the stairs you will often find little girls dressed in traditional Lanna clothing. They want to take pictures with you (for money) or just ask for your money directly. How cute these girls may look, they can get really cranky if you interact with them but don't give the any money so make sure you know what you sign up for! For those who prefer to save their energy, there is also a lift going upstairs.
Around the temple there is a platform where you can have a good view of Chiang Mai. Underneath that platform you will see houses where monks are living. Going even further down you will find a retreat center, for those of you interested in an intensive meditation program. A friend of mine so happened to went for a 10-day program and she told me that it was very peaceful and made you reflect on life. Along with meditation you are also supposed to fast (you can drink water though) and restrain yourself from verbal contact. Sounds like a very interesting experience to focus on yourself and how you perceive life.
Foggy view due to the weather conditions
One of the monks residences
How to get there?
It's actually very easy! There are Songteaw's (red mini busses) going from anywhere from the city, you can go up with your motorbike/car, and if you're really in a sporty mood you can even bike up your way. The roads are very well maintained and look quite new. There are no holes or bumpy roads, it will be a very smooth and short (around 30 min to get to the temple) ride.
Hope you enjoyed this brief description of Chiang Mai's most attractive tourist spot. Please leave a comment for further questions.
Love,
D.