Tokyoahead - Wat Phrathat Doi Suthep, Chiang Mai, Thailand

Wat Phrathat is located on Mount Doi Suthep, above the northern Thai City of Chiang Mai. Its a landmark not only due to its exposed location on a ledge above the city but also because of its bright red roofs of the buildings. To get there, you have to take a 40 minutes drive along a steep winding road and another steep climb many steps up to the mountain. The climb is so steep that there is now a cable car going up to carry the many tourists, most of whom are Thai from Bangkok, spending holidays in the cool north.


Of course you have the chance to strengthen yourself with Chiang Mai sausages before you climb up. On the bottom of the stairs you have to climb, you will see the protecting Naga-snake, that winds up its tail along the stairs. Once you reached the top, you are welcomed by a majestic building entrance.

The gold plated central pagoda is hardly visible from the outside since it is not very tall, but still impressive once you have entered the inner courtyard. The sourrounding buildings are again surrounded by several smaller buildings and a row of bells along the walls. They can be rung by bending down to show your modesty and are supposed to bring good luck.

You can find the many usual buddha-statues as well as some more local figures, including famous monks cast in metal.

The ornaments all around are quite detailed and beautiful. Wooden carvings on a side temple pillar (center) are extremely detailed and skilled.

As in most buddhist temples, most of what you see is baout money, and you can see donations from followers all over the place in diferent shapes and values. First of all the buddha statues, then the gold leaves stuck to them, and also wind chimes lining the complete inner courtyard, with the names of the donators on them.

Then of course, the pure cash lined to flags, flowing in the wind and coins, stuck with wax to a panel. For the more spiritual there is a sale in incense sticks, but the buckets they are placed in are quite overcrowded, and a monk removes them even before they are burned down.

Then you can tie flags around a jack-fruit tree, or look at young girls performing a dance, helped by a small orchestra - with a donation box saying "For education" in front of them. Less talented kids show up with a traditional Hmong costume and ask for 10 Baht for a picture taken with them.
	The view over Chiang Mai form the temple can be quite nice, most of the time its a bit hazy though. You can clearly see the square-shape line of the ditch around the old city center, and some of the landmmark hotel buildings, as well as some of the larger temples from up here.

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Wat Phrathat Doi Suthep, Chiang Mai, Thailand

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