Inside Chiang Mai: Wat Chiang Man

This temple was built in 1297 at the site King Mangrai used when he supervised the building of Chiang Mai.

Wat Chiang Man is located in the northeastern section of the old city on Rajpakinai Road. This is the oldest temple in Chiangmai, built by King Mengrai in 1296 as Chiangmai's first Royal Temple. The oldest structure is the Chang Lom chedi, a gold-spired square chedi which is in a Ceylon style with fifteen elephants represent a sea of unformed matter upon which the cosmos of the chedi floats.

The temple is surrounded by a old and earthen white paint wall that encloses the whole temple and helps keep in, the excessive amounts of temple stray dogs, so beware of where one walks.

The stela in front of the ubosot was inscribed in 1581, and is one of the oldest known records that establishes the founding date of Chiang Mai.

The smaller viharn to the north contains two small but very famous Buddha images. The Phra Sila image is a bas-relief that probably came from Ceylon in about the eighth century. The other is image Enshrined in Wat Chiang Man a tiny crystal Buddha called Pra Seh-Taang Kamaneeee and is also the focus of a festival at the temple held in April each year.

• Special Occasion Dining
  
• Taxis & Rental Cars
  
• The Performing Arts
  
• Wat Chiang Man
  
• Architecture
  
• Chiang Mai Markets
  
• Dining for Large Groups
  
• Events & Festivals
  
• Loy Krathong Festival
  
• People watching