Wat Phra That Doi Suthep

Wat Phra That Doi Suthep is the symbol of Chiang Mai and is located about 15km west of the city center. Particularly well known is the gold-plated chedi, which is to contain a relic of the Buddha. The temple itself is reached by a long staircase, the banisters are decorated with snakes. Wat Phra That Doi Suthep is located on the slopes of Doi Suthep mountain in the Doi Suthep-Pui National Park. The park was 261.06 kilometers ² 1981 24. than the Thailand's National Park opened. To the founding of Wat Doi Suthep is shrouded in legends. One says that in 1371 the monk Sumana from Sukhothai had brought a relic of the Buddha, which should be stored in the Wat Suan Dok in the local Chedi. However, announced suddenly the relic. It did not seem auspicious, now keep both parts there. So they fixed the second part on the back of a white elephant, which was released afterwards. The elephant headed straight to the mountain of Doi Suthep, and after a three-day hike, the three times he sat down to rest, he reached a ledge below the hermit who lived Wasuthep. There, the elephant trumpeted three times, knelt down and died. Thus, there was no doubt that this is the place to build a temple to guard the relic. First, a 7 meter high chedi was built, was placed in the interior of the relic. During the reign of King Kaew Muang, the chedi was 1525 at an altitude of 16 meters and extended in its present octagonal shape with a diameter at the base of 12 meters. A road was built only in 1935 to the temple. This was done at the initiative of the famous monk Khru Ba Srivichai.