Cultural Attractions

Ban Hmong Mae Sa Mai
This Hmong village has preserved their simple but splendid traditions and lifestyles. This Hmong village has preserved their simple but splendid traditions and lifestyles. The village can be reached by taking a left turn at Km.12 and proceeding for 7 kilometers. Only four-wheel vehicles in good condition can make the trip. Along the route, you can visit resorts which are open to visitors, including Mae Sa Valley, Mae Sa Resort (offers a 9-hole golf course), and Kangsadan Farm.

Phra That Si Chom Thong Temple
This temple is situated approximately 58 kilometers from the town in Chom Thong District. This temple is situated approximately 58 kilometers from the town in Chom Thong District. The temple can be dated back to the mid-1400s and houses a collection of bronze Buddha images while the secondary chapel contains a holy Buddha relic.

San Kamphaeng
The village is located 13 kilometers the east of Chiang Mai town in a district that is famous for silk and a cotton weaving. The silk and cotton souvenirs produced in this village are high quality. The village is located 13 kilometers the east of Chiang Mai town in a district that is famous for silk and a cotton weaving. The silk and cotton souvenirs produced in this village are high quality. Factories and souvenir shops selling woodcarving, silverware, earth ware, lacquer ware and cotton fabrics are located along the way from Chiang Mai to San Kamphaeng.

Located in San Kamphaeng is Bo Sang a village that produces handmade umbrellas. In addition to umbrellas, visitors will also be able to find various woodcarving and Thai silk products here.

Tribal Museum
Tribal Museum is in King Rama IX Lanna Garden on Chotana Road. Tribal Museum is in King Rama IX Lanna Garden on Chotana Road. This is an ethnology museum featuring the indigenous culture of 9 hill tribes including Karen (Kariang), Hmong (Meo), Mien (Yao), Lisu (Liso), Akha (Iko), Lahu (Musoe), Lau,Thin, and Khamu including the minority tribe of Malabri. Each tribe possesses unique identity and culture.

The museum exhibits ways of life, culture, beliefs, and local wisdom of those tribes, which have been intellectually conveyed through artistic objects displayed in the museum. It is open daily to the public from 09.00 to 16.00 hrs.

Wat Chedi Luang
This 14th century temple, where the City Pillar Shrine is located, is famous for its enormous chedi, which is measured at 282 feet high and 144 feet wide (at the base).

This 14th century temple, where the City Pillar Shrine is located, is famous for its enormous chedi, which is measured at 282 feet high and 144 feet wide (at the base). Located right in the middle of the city, it is considered to be the largest chedi in Chiang Mai. Its spire collapsed in 1545 due to an earthquake. A pair of magnificent Naga staircases at the front porch of the chapel is among the most beautiful manmade serpents in the North. Chao Khun Uba Lee Poramacharn (Sirichantathera) and Chao Kaeo Navarat built the front chapel in 1928.

Wat Phra Sing
Built in 1345, the temple is located on Sam Lan Road. It houses the North s most revered Buddha statue, Phra Phuttha Sihing which is enshrined in Vihan Lai Kham, a chapel that features exquisite woodcarvings and northern style murals.

Built in 1345, the temple is located on Sam Lan Road. It houses the North's most revered Buddha statue, Phra Phuttha Sihing which is enshrined in Vihan Lai Kham, a chapel that features exquisite woodcarvings and northern style murals. Every year on April 13, Songkran Day, the image is paraded through the streets of Chiang Mai for local people to sprinkle scented water on. This area was formerly Wat Li Chiang Market until 1345, when King Pa Yu, the fifth king of the Meng Rai Dynasty commanded the construction of this temple and a 24-feet chedi to contain his father's ashes.

Wat Phra That Doi Kham: Temple of the Golden Mountain
This temple is situated in Tambon Mae Hia, Amphoe Mueang. It is a beautiful temple situated on a lush mountainside near Chiang Mai Town. 'Wat Phra That' refers to the fact that this temple houses relics of the Buddha, and 'Doi Kham' means 'Golden Mountain'. The sacred temple was built more than 1300 years ago, in 687 A.D. It had been abandoned, but in 1966 villagers discovered a hidden chamber containing many ancient Buddha images of various sizes, and this find prompted a revitalization.

There is an interesting folktale about Lord Buddha visiting this temple and meeting a rakshasa (demon) family who tried to eat him. Lord Buddha conquered them by sending them his kindness, which they could not stand. The rakshasa family eventually converted, revering our Lord Buddha, and also gave up consuming human flesh.

Removed at some distance from the temple itself, an enormous white pearl Buddha statue is strikingly placed amidst the mountain greenery. On the temple grounds, chedis (pagodas) enshrine Buddha relics. Stairs carved in the form of white nagas (mythical water serpents) lead to a calm and quiet lookout point which offers a panoramic view of Chiang Mai. Visitors may revel in the crisp fresh air and marvel at the picturesque splendour of the valley spread out before them. In addition, the lookout point boasts a beautifully carved wooden pavillion decorated with hanging bells tinkling in the breeze. The temple complex is a favorite fly-by for airplanes on their way to Chiang Mai Airport.

Getting There: From Chiang Mai Town, take the road paralleling Khlong Chonlaprathan (irrigation canal), cross the canal when you reach the sign 'to Mae Hia', and then take the road up the mountain to Phra That Doi Kham. Energetic visitors may want to walk up the stairs to the mountaintop.

Wat Phra That Doi Suthep
Locals would say, You havent really gone to Chiang Mai unless youve been to Wat Phratat Doi Suthep. Truly, the place is the most important and famous Chiang Mai landmark. Built in 1383, this mountaintop temple has a chedi (pagoda) that houses holy Buddha relics. The gold-plated chedi lies in the middle of a square marble-tiled courtyard. The four corners of the chedi are adorned with parasols which represent royal regalia. The temples courtyard is lined by a cloister, which contains images and murals depicting Buddhas life. There are also two viharns situated in the middle of the east and west sides of the cloister.

This temple is 15 kilometers from town and is 3,520 feet above sea level. It is the perfect place to get a birds eye view of the city. The temple can be reached via a steep Naga staircase comprised of 290 steps or railcars. The temple is open daily from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m.

To get there, drive along Huay Kaew Road up the mountain. Alternatively, there are song thaew services available at the foot of the mountain. It costs 30 baht/head to go up to Doi Suthep and approximately 50 baht/head to go further to Doi Pui and Phu Phing Palace. Note that these are one-way fares.