Chiang Mai - "Wat"-ed Out

Chiang Mai is not what we were expecting.  We thought it would be a quaint town with a pedestrian-only Old City and pleasant streets to stroll along.  NOT.  It is a big, crowded, and congested city with probably more motorbikes than you can ever imagine (and we heard to expect worse in Bangkok and in Vietnam)!  Most streets do not have sidewalks, and those that do are narrow, uneven, and encumbered anyway by parked cars, motorbikes, cafe tables, and large utility poles.  Strollers, wheelchairs, or tourists with rolling suitcases- you’re out of luck- no ADA ramps.  Nevertheless, Chiang Mai is crowded with pedestrians and you just share the road and pray each time you venture out in the city.

Dining Room/Antique Shop of Tanita House

Tanita House

We had a unique stay in Chiang Mai- an antique shop/art gallery/guest house/tea house - Tanita's.  Our room was a renovated rice storage shed and the main dining area was within the antique shop.  Aor, the owner, was wonderful and became family! 


This leads me to the Temples ("Wat" in Thai) of Chiang Mai.  There are literally hundreds of them (over 300)!  Every block has one or two Wats, to serve the local communities.  Some are staffed by resident monks, others serve as a religious shrine of sorts, but almost all are quite ornate, with the typical Thai roof, lots of gold, and statues of serpents, elephants, and Buddha.  We set out on our first day to visit the main Wats in town and by the third Wat, they all started blending together.  They all have similarities- they consist of a complex of several ancillary buildings surrounding a main Wat within a gated wall, women must cover their legs and arms as a sign of respect, and no shoes- for anyone!  There is always a “feature” shrine, usually a Buddha of one form or another.  The ones we visited included:

Wat Ket Karam (next to our accommodation)- this Wat honors the Year of the Dog.

Wat Phan Tao- a teak wood temple originally used as a palace, built towards the end of the 14th Century.  One of the few remaining all wooden structures of its kind in Chiang Mai.

Wat Chedi Luang- highest temple in Old City; original temple building dating back to 1385 with more recent additions.  One of the smaller structures did not permit women to enter as they are considered "unclean" due to their menstrual cycles.

Wat Phra Singh- renovated in the 19th Century, one of the more impressive temples with the iconic Lanna-style roof and intricate facade.

Wat Sri Suphan- dating back to 16th century, is also called The Silver Temple.  It is almost completely clad in silver and is one of a kind in Thailand and possibly in Asia.  Lots of solid silver here!

Wat Phra That Doi Suthep- (Phuping Palace) Took a local, shared tuk tuk up a winding mountain road outside of town to visit this Temple!  This is the most visited and most highly revered temple in Chiang Mai. This 600-year old temple requires a climb up 309 steps to reach the actual Wat (yes in case you were wondering, I counted them!) 

In Chiang Rai (about three hours north of Chiang Mai) we visited the following two temples plus an additional museum/shrine:

Wat Rong Kuhn- (the White Temple)- a temple unique for its all-white plaster with pieces of glass that sparkle in the sun. The white signifies the purity of the Buddha, while the glass symbolizes the Buddha’s wisdom and the Dhamma, the Buddhist's teachings.  Most interesting is the entrance to the Temple, as it is a bridge you cross that symbolizes taking you from "Hell to Heaven".  Thai people believe that when you die you first go to hell, then if you followed the teachings of Buddha, you would be granted eternal happiness and cross up to a state of happiness in Heaven.  The Temple was designed by Chalermchai Kositipipat, a famous Thai visual artist who privately paid to build it. The complex is still not complete.  This was hands down the most beautiful and humbling of all the Temples we visited. My absolute favorite!!!

Wat Rong Sues Ten (the Blue Temple)- just outside of Chiang Rai, a modern Buddhist temple distinguished by its vivid blue coloring and elaborate carvings.

The Black House- a collection of around 40 buildings (wood, glass, concrete, brick, or terracotta) dotted around a peaceful garden, that contain the collection of paintings, sculptures, animal skins and bones, and unique collectibles of artist/professor/Ph.D in Metaphysics and URBAN PLANNER, Thawan Duchanee.  His works demonstrate a sense of Thai spirituality tinged with oriental and western philosophy as well as how Buddhism is perceived in a contemporary setting.  I’ll let the photos of the site speak for themselves.......

yes, this is the actual sign to the rest room!