Built by King Mangrai of the Lanna Kingdom in 1297, Wat Chiang Man is the oldest temple in Chiang Mai, and the location of the north's famous Crystal Buddha.
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| Wat Chiang Man |
The oldest part of the temple is the Elephant Chedi, a gold-capped stone stupa with statues of elephants supporting the chedi on their backs.
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| elephant chedi |
King Mangrai was the first of the Lanna kings. He ordered the construction of Chiang Mai (the name literally means "New City") and moved the capital there from the old city of Chiang Rai when he established his rule. King Mangrai dedicated Wat Chiang Man during the construction of his new capital.
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| King Mangrai |
Wat Chiang Man isn't nearly as crowded as some of the other Old Town temples in Chiang Mai, and I'm not really sure why. It's not a huge temple complex, but it's beautiful and elegant.
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| beautiful old temple |
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| northern-style lanterns hanging from the temple |
The most important artifact at Wat Chiang Man is the legendary Crystal Buddha, Phra Sae Tang Khamani. While not as famous as the Emerald Buddha, this statue is really unique; made of a solid piece of quartz. The picture below is a replica - the original image is contained inside the temple and too high to photograph. This statue dates to around the year 200, and is said to protect the city from attack and disaster.
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| the Crystal Buddha |
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