Temples in Chiang Mai
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The Thais have been keeping on praying in the temples for 700 years, since Chiang Mai came into being on the face of the earth.I, myself, keep on admiring the faith and the conscientiousness with which they respect the ancient traditions that are highly beneficial for their lives, guiding and helping them in each and every moment of their existence. The temples represent some priceless treasures, Chiang Mai having about 300, and the monks dressed in saffron-colored clothes have always welcome the tourists with a smile on their face, the Thai way of being friendly. Wat Chiang Mai,the oldest temple, Wat Chedi Luang,with its huge chedi ( roof), or the famous Wat Phra Singh are some of the must see spots on the list of the temples in Chiang Mai.
“Colored list” of the temples in Chiang Mai:
- Wat Prah That Doi Suthep - came into being in 1383 and is the most famous in the area; it lies on the Doi Suthep Hill, and its history is linked to a white elephant, to whom the king Keuna gave a holly relic of Buddha, to carry; the place chosen by the elephant to sit was believed to have become the perfect spot for the statue. Therefore, in the Suthep mountain, a temple was built, on the place where the elephant took a rest.
- Wat Prah That Doi Suthep - came into being in 1383 and is the most famous in the area; it lies on the Doi Suthep Hill, and its history is linked to a white elephant, to whom the king Keuna gave a holly relic of Buddha, to carry; the place chosen by the elephant to sit was believed to have become the perfect spot for the statue. Therefore, in the Suthep mountain, a temple was built, on the place where the elephant took a rest.
- Wat Chiang Mai - is as old as Chiang Mai and was built by the king Mengrai. There are two very rare statues of Buddha inside, the Crystal Buddha and the Marble Buddha, and at the back, you will see a very old chedi, decorated with elephants.
- Wat Phra Sing - is one of the most important temples in the town, it dates back to 1345 and is a classical example of North-Thai architecture; it hosts a highly worshipped statue, Phra Sing Buddha and it also has a school where men can become Buddhist monks.
- Wat Sri Suphan - or the Silver Temple, built in 1502, is almost completely covered with silver and it ranks among the few temples in the area where you can talk to the monks, according to a timetable. You can admire scenes of Buddha`s life in silver plates, inside the temple.
- Wat Chedi Luang - was built in the early 1400 and has an impressive chedi, which was finished with a lot of effort. At the beginning, the temple was about 90 m high, but after a devastating earthquake, only 60 m were left, without the statue of the Emerald Buddha, which was moved by that time.Nowadays there is a counterpart, of black jade, but also a very interesting library.
- Wat Phan Tao - initially designed as a royal palace, for the leader, Chao Mahawong, then as a monastery, has a dog as a landmark, which was once in the king`s zodiac.
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