Wat Sri Suphan is also known as the Silver Temple because of its impressive hand crafted silver deco

Wat Sri Suphan is also known as the Silver Temple because of its impressive hand crafted silver decoration. The temple is completely covered in silver, from the walls to the roof and display some detailed silver carvings of Buddhism legends. Even the statues of Buddha are covered in silver. Wat Sri Suphan was originally built around 1500 to serve as the main temple for a silversmith village. While over the years parts of the temple were repaired with silver from the local village the process of completely covering the temple in silver only began in 2008. The inside of the temple is even more interesting with silver decoration, mirrors and bright colours mixed together. However due to old Buddhist rules women are not allowed to enter the inside of the temple and must remain outside.

http://www.chiangmai.bangkok.com/attract…/wat-sri-suphan.htm @ Silver Temple Chiang Mai Thailand

Check out the engraved art in Wat Sri Suphan. What do you think it means? Lots of Hell/water/UFO/Zodiac/calendar motifs.... @ Silver Temple Chiang Mai Thailand

The Wat Phra That Doi Suthep is one of the most important temples of Northern Thailand. During the B

The Wat Phra That Doi Suthep is one of the most important temples of Northern Thailand. During the Buddhist holidays of Visakha Bucha day and Makha Bucha Day Thai people come to this temple in great numbers. Doi Suthep Mountain

This temple is located on top of the Doi Suthep mountain, some 15 kilometers out of Chiang Mai. From the car park there are two ways to reach the temple.

The first is a 309 step pretty vertical climb up the mountain. The stairs are flanked by huge Naga creatures. The Naga is an underwater creature from Buddhist mythology in the form of a large snake.

The legend of the white elephant

There are several versions of the legend of how the Wat Phra That Doi Suthep was founded.

According to a popular version of the legend a monk from Sukhothai was in possession of a relic believed to be a shoulder bone of The Buddha. This relic was believed to have magical powers. The monk took the relic to King Kuena, ruler of the Lanna Kingdom.

When he arrived, the relic had split up in two pieces, one being of the original size, the other one smaller. The smaller part was enshrined in the Wat Suan Dok, a temple just outside the old city of Chiang Mai. The original relic was to be placed in a newly build temple.

To choose the location for the new temple, the relic was placed on the back of a sacred white elephant that was then set free to go where ever it wanted. The elephant climbed up Doi Suthep mountain and just before it arrived at the top, it trumpeted three times and died. This was taken as a sign that this was the place to build a temple to house the relic.

Then in 1368 the first chedi of the Wat Phra That Doi Suthep was build to keep the holy relic. Since then, the temple complex has grown considerably. At the top of the stairs is a statue of the white elephant that determined the location of the temple. @ Doi Suthep, Chiang Mai, Thailand

Among the hundreds of Buddhist temples in Chiang Mai, the Wat Umong or “Tunnel temple” is unique bec

Wat Umong

Among the hundreds of Buddhist temples in Chiang Mai, the Wat Umong or “Tunnel temple” is unique because of its location in the forest and its system of tunnels. The serene and peaceful atmosphere at the 13th century forest temple near Doi Suthep mountain provides a welcome change from the much visited sites in Chiang Mai.

The temple’s full name is Wat Umong Suan Phutthatham, which translates to “Temple of the tunnels and Buddha Dhamma garden”.

A number of tunnels dug out of a mound contains shrines with Buddha images, where devotees can pay their respect to the Buddha.

The large, shady temple grounds are often filled with the sounds of monks’ chanting. The temple’s setting in a forested area with a natural lake makes the Wat Umong an excellent place for meditation. The meditation center hosts meditation classes and Dhamma talks. History of the Wat Umong

The Wat Umong was founded at the end of the 13th century by King Mengrai, first King of the Lanna Kingdom and founder Chiang Mai.

According to local legend, the King regularly consulted a monk who lived at the Wat Umong Maha Thera Chan, a temple located within the old city walls of Chiang Mai. The monk named Thera Chan used a tunnel to meditate in peace and quiet.

When the city of Chiang Mai grew bigger and more crowded, the monk found it more and more difficult to meditate. King Mengrai wanted to accommodate the monk and ordered a number of tunnels dug out in a man made mound outside the city, in a forested area bordering Doi Suthep mountain. The tunnels were lined with brick walls, plastered and Buddhist murals were painted. Shrines with images of the Buddha were added, giving the monk a new place to meditate in peace and quiet. @ Wat Umong