Information: Wat Chedi Luang (a.k.a. Jedi Luang) was built in 1391 during the reign of King Saen Muang Ma, 8th ruler of the Mengrai dynasty. He intended the structure to house the ashes of his father, Ku Na. Appropriately, the site was designated as a 'ku luang' instead of a chedi since it was not intended to house relics of the Buddha.

The massive reliquary was expanded over the centuries, until it reached its final form in 1475, when King Tilokaraj made it the home of the Emerald Buddha, the most important cultural treasure in Thailand. At one point the reliquary--which had come to be known as a chedi--was 144 feet wide and 282 feet tall. Unfortunately, the pagoda was heavily damaged in the 1545 earthquake during the reign of Queen Mahadevi. The Emerald Buddha remained here for about six years after the earthquake, whereupon it was brought to Luang Prabang (in today's Laos) by King Setthathirat, who ruled Chiang Mai for a short period in the years following the earthquake.

The viharn, or worship hall, is a much newer structure decorated with naga (water snake) and peacock motifs.

According to Roy Hudson, visitors entering this temple should take note of the massive tree to the left of the entrance. Legend says that if this tree should ever fall, a great catastrophe will occur. A small building near the tree enshrines the "Spirit of the City" (Sao Intakin) that was moved from its original site in 1775.

Information: This temple was built in 1297 at the site of the camp King Mangrai used when he supervised the building of Chiang Mai. It was the first temple to be built in Chiang Mai and contains several very old artifacts. The oldest structure is the Chang Lom chedi, which is in a style that could have originated from Sri Lanka via Sukhothai, or from Pagan. Fifteen elephants represent a sea of unformed matter upon which the cosmos of the chedi floats.

Nearby are a lotus pond, a raised scripture repository and an ubosot. 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 temple has two Lanna style viharn. The larger viharn was renovated by Khru Ba Srivichai in the 1920's. The standing Buddha image (front right of the altar) has an inscription on its slightly lopsided square base that dates it to 1465. This makes it the oldest dated Buddha image to be found so far in Chiang Mai. Close study shows new gilt veneer covers pits and cracks that indicate the image's real age.

Information: The temple appears to date from the earliest period of Chiang Mai. It was the custom for the kings of Chiang Mai to spend some time here before being crowned.

The temple was one of the few maintained by the Burmese during their 200 year occupation of Chiang Mai, and most of the structures seen in the temple today date from the Burmese period. The temple was undergoing reconstruction in mid 2004 to restore some of its former glory.

Information: Jed Yod means Seven Spires - a reference to the Wat's Chedi of unusual shape - a Chedi with seven spires. The Wat lies in the outskirts of the city, in northwesterly direction from the center. The seven-spired Chedi is suppost to be a copy of a former Pagoda at Bagan, Myanmar.

Information: The original temple was built in the 14th century, but all that remains of it today is the very imposing chedi, which was in fact built later in 1527.

It sits on a large three-tiered square base. The square section underneath the spire has niches on the four sides guarded by angels at the corners.

In 2003, a new wooden traditional design viharn was built in front of the chedi. It has a polished teak wood interior and columns of rich ochre lacquer.

Restoration was completed in 2004 with a decorative formal entrance constructed to the temple grounds.

Information: Wat Pa Pao is a Buddhist temple situated in the center of the northern Thai city of Chiang Mai, just outside the old city wall and moat. It was founded over 400 years ago by a Shan, and today serves as the main community center for Shans in Chiang Mai.

In February 1997, the Abbot of the temple, with other community leaders, set up a foundation at the temple with the aim of promoting the education of Shan people and the preservation of their culture.

Information: The walls of the large Viharn are entirely made of beautiful teakwood panels and the gable above the front entrance is decorated with a big golden peacock image. Wat Pan Tao temple is a real masterpiece of woodwork!

Information: The biggest and most important wat in the city is Wat Phra Singh. It lies on the main street leading right into the broad temple grounds, which were once the centre of the city. The wat was established by King Pa Yo in 1345, and the ashes of his father are housed in the chedi behind the viharn. The viharn dates from 1518 and has outstanding woodcarving on the gables on either side, which were added at a later date. The small library in front of the viharn to the right is a graceful 14th-century building, a jewel in the crown of Thai religious architecture. The tall white base is decorated with tiny stucco details and the red-gold wooden upper floor has some fine carvings with inlays. The most sacred part of the wat is a small, elegant building behind the bot called Phra Viharn Lai Kam. It was built by King San Muang Ma (1385–1401) for the famous and legendary Phra Singh Buddha statue. It depicts a sitting Buddha making the “gesture of calling to the earth” and is in the Sukhothai style.