After my mom landed in Bangkok, she only stayed in the city for day or so to get over her jet lag before we flew together to Chiang Mai, the biggest city in northern Thailand. A few years ago, I had visited Chiang Mai with my mom and brother. You can read Kyle's writeup of our adventures in the north here on my blog:
Mom really loved Chiang Mai and had been wanting to visit again ever since.
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| Nok Air at Chiang Mai Airport |
We arrived in mid-afternoon and checked into the wonderful Rarinjinda Resort. Although we had some big stuff booked for our visit to Chiang Mai, we had the afternoon free. While we were getting settled, we had a look at the guidebook, and decided to spend our evening exploring Wat Umong, just outside of town.
The full name of this 700-year-old monastery is Wat Umong Suan Puthatham. Located a few kilometers outside of town at the foot of the sacred mountain Doi Suthep, Wat Umong is one of the most unique Buddhist temples I've ever visited (and I've been to a lot!).
Historically, northern Thailand was an independent state, and the Lanna Kingdom existed alongside the Ayutthaya and Sukhothai kingdoms for centuries. Lanna was captured by the Burmese in the 18th century, but Siam was able to liberate it, effectively creating a semi-independent client state in the Kingdom of Chiang Mai. In fact, the Kingdom of Chiang Mai was nominally independent until the 1930s, when the nation was well and truly unified under the modernization efforts of Prime Minister Field Marshal Plaek Pibunsongkram (who also invented Pad Thai). The daughter of the last king of Chiang Mai married the King of Thailand, and the rest is history.
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| "talking trees" hold Buddhist sayings and words of wisdom for visitors |
Our taxi pulled up through the dense and shady forests of the sprawling monastery complex. Wat Umong offers a meditation retreat program for tourists, and as we drove up, we passed small groups of westerners wearing white robes sweeping the sidewalk and doing small chores throughout the grounds.
Wat Umong dates back to 1287, when it was built by King Mangrai the Great of the Lanna Kingdom.
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| King Mangrai |
Historically, northern Thailand was an independent state, and the Lanna Kingdom existed alongside the Ayutthaya and Sukhothai kingdoms for centuries. Lanna was captured by the Burmese in the 18th century, but Siam was able to liberate it, effectively creating a semi-independent client state in the Kingdom of Chiang Mai. In fact, the Kingdom of Chiang Mai was nominally independent until the 1930s, when the nation was well and truly unified under the modernization efforts of Prime Minister Field Marshal Plaek Pibunsongkram (who also invented Pad Thai). The daughter of the last king of Chiang Mai married the King of Thailand, and the rest is history.
This means that northern Thai culture is quite different from that which you see in the central region. The food is different, the people speak a different dialect, and there is even a unique Lanna alphabet.
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| a shrine at the temple |
Local lore tells of how King Mangrai would often meet with a wise and powerful monk for his advice and spiritual teachings. As King Mangrai's new capital, Chiang Mai, continued to grow and become the center of the Lanna Kingdom, the monk found it more and more difficult to focus on his meditations. the king ordered a series of quiet subterranean tunnels to be constructed for the monk so that he would have a place to get away from the chaos and hubbub of the capital for his meditation retreats.
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| a Buddhist monk entering the tunnels at Wat Umong |
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| the entrance to Wat Umong's tunnel system |
The long hallways branched off into smaller nooks, each containing a small Buddhist shrine and a woven mat, where monks or devout laypeople can sit for their prayers or meditation.
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| inside the cave-like tunnels of Wat Umong |
Though the structure itself is manmade, it feels like a cave. Wat Umong is in remarkably good condition, despite having been looted and abandoned sometime during the tumultuous 15th century. Today, the monastery has taken efforts to preserve it, including building a roof over a part of the collapsed tunnels to protect the ancient stonework.
At one point, we looked up to find a small cluster of bats huddled together, seemingly unconcerned with the tourists passing beneath. I guess an ancient temple is as good as a cave when you're looking for a place to sleep during the day!
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| a small group of bats huddled together in the temple |
Outside of the tunnels is a towering chedi (a Thai prayer stupa containing a Buddhist relic) and a "Buddha Field", a respectful resting place for broken Buddhist statues and sculptures.
As evening fell, we took a taxi back to Chiang Mai, passing the 14th century city walls and perfectly square moat which surround the Old City.
Back at the hotel, we ordered a northern Thai feast from room service. Normally, we would have gone out to find local food in town, but we were feeling tired from a long day of travel, and we wanted to save our energy for the next day. Tomorrow would be BIG!
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