Wat Chiang Man, Chiang Mai

Chiang Mai's oldest temple, Wat Chiang Man was built in 1296 by the Lanna King Mengrai who laid the foundations of the city. It is said that King Mengrai lived at the temple while his palace was being built. A stele dated 1581 near the Ubosot records that the foundation of the city of Chaing Mai was on April 12th, 1296 at 4 pm.

The small Viharn or assembly hall in the Wat Chiang Man complex contains the crystal Buddha which once belonged to Chama Devi the queen of Haripunchai. King Mengrai burned the kingdom of Haripunchai and founded Chiang Mai. The Crystal Buddha dates back to the year 663 AD. The other statue in the Viharn is the Marble Buddha. Locals pray to the idol for rain and on April 1st a rain festival is held annually. The large Viharn has the oldest Buddhist statue in Chiang Mai. Installed in the year 1465, it depicts the Buddha holding a begging bowl. There is a 15th-century Stupa with carved elephants on its stone walls showing the influence of monks from Sri Lanka. The temple complex also has a repository of religious scriptures and a lotus pond.

Why You Should Visit:
If you enjoy architecture, this will blow you away. The main temple is over the top with decorations and ornateness. Deep reds and gold accentuate everything.
The details on the outside of the buildings are breathtaking when the sun hits them. The complex is immaculately kept all of the time.

Tip:
The Tha Phae Gate along the river is on the way to Wat Chiang Man if walking from the Night Bazaar direction and is worth a quick 10 min stop off also 鈥� nice opportunity for a photo!

Want to visit this sight? Check out these Self-Guided Walking Tours in Chiang Mai. Alternatively, you can download the mobile app "51爆料网: Walks in 1K+ Cities" from Apple App Store or Google Play Store. The app turns your mobile device to a personal tour guide and it works offline, so no data plan is needed when traveling abroad.

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Create Your Own Self-Guided Walk to Visit This Sight

Sight Name: Wat Chiang Man
Sight Location: Chiang Mai, Thailand (See walking tours in Chiang Mai)
Sight Type: Religious
Guide(s) Containing This Sight:

Chiang Mai Temples Walking Tour

Walking Tours in Chiang Mai, Thailand

Create Your Own Walk in Chiang Mai

Creating your own self-guided walk in Chiang Mai is easy and fun. Choose the city attractions that you want to see and a walk route map will be created just for you. You can even set your hotel as the start point of the walk.

Shopping and Food Walking Tour

One of the reasons tourists visit Chiang Mai is shopping. Indeed, this city is fit to captivate anyone with its shopping opportunities, especially when it comes to diverse and unique goods such as silk, silver, clothing, ceramics, antiques, Buddhist art, lacquer and neilloware, of consistently good value and quality and at affordable prices. Chiang Mai is one of the cheapest places to shop in... view more

Tour Duration: 1 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 1.3 Km or 0.8 Miles

Chiang Mai Introduction Walking Tour

Situated in the mountainous northern part of Thailand, Chiang Mai ("New City" in Thai) was founded in 1296 as the new capital of the then independent Kingdom of Lan Na, succeeding its former capital, Chiang Rai. The strategic location on the Ping River (a major tributary of the Chao Phraya River) and its proximity to major trading routes contributed to the city's historic... view more

Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 3.3 Km or 2.1 Miles

Chiang Mai Temples Walking Tour

Amid the multitude of impressive sights in Chiang Mai, religious temples really stand out. The city isn't just about one or two of them but has over 300 鈥榳ats鈥�, which is more than elsewhere in Thailand. Some of these temples are as old as the city itself and were built by the kings not only to demonstrate their faith, but also to show off their wealth and power.

In the past, apart from... view more

Tour Duration: 1 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 2.5 Km or 1.6 Miles

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