Wat Phra That Doi Suthep, Chiang Mai

The temple sits on the slopes of Doi Suthep, around 15 kilometres from the old city of Chiang Mai, inside Doi Suthep-Pui National Park. It is one of the most sacred pilgrimage sites in northern Thailand, and its terraces look out over the whole Chiang Mai valley on a clear day.

Legend says a relic of the Buddha brought to the Lanna kingdom split in two. One part went to Wat Suan Dok; the other was placed on the back of a white elephant that was set free. The elephant climbed the mountain, trumpeted three times and died, and King Kue Na ordered a temple built on the spot. The road to the temple was built in 1935 under the monk Khruba Siwichai.

From the car park a staircase of 309 steps, lined with naga serpents, climbs to the temple. A tram runs alongside for those who prefer not to walk.

At the centre stands the gold plated chedi, about 24 metres tall, which enshrines the relic. Around it are shrines, bells, Buddha images, a Ganesh statue and a model of the Emerald Buddha. Worshippers walk clockwise around the chedi, often carrying lotus flowers.

Foreign visitors pay a small entry fee, while Thai nationals enter free. Shoes come off at the inner terrace, and shoulders and knees must be covered. Early morning is cooler and less crowded, and an hour or two is enough. Shared red songthaews leave from near Chiang Mai University, and fit walkers can climb the Monk's Trail from the edge of the city.

Sumanathera's relic and the 1383 stupa

Tradition dates the first stupa to 1383. The story begins with Sumanathera, a monk from the Sukhothai kingdom, who found a relic at Pang Cha after a dream and later took it to Lamphun in 1368. King Kue Na of Lanna, also known as Dhammikaraja, invited him north, and when the relic divided, one part was enshrined at Wat Suan Dok and the other went up the mountain on the white elephant, giving rise to the temple you see today. The mountain itself was once known as Doi Aoy Chang.

The temple stands at roughly 1,050 to 1,073 metres above sea level, depending on the source, so the air is noticeably cooler than in the city below and mist often covers the view in the rainy season. Over the centuries more shrines and decoration were added around the original chedi, which remains the most sacred area.

Visakha Bucha and Songkran crowds

The busiest night of the year is Visakha Bucha, when local people walk up the mountain and sleep on the temple terrace to mark the Buddha's birth, enlightenment and death. Crowds also build during Songkran in April. On those dates arrive very early or expect long queues for the tram and for parking.