Chiang Rai has many beautiful wats. Here are a few I saw on a whistle stop tour. They’re all on my map.
Wat Klang Wiang www.tourismthailand.org was my favourite. The statues have an almost cartoon-like quality reminiscent of a theme park.
You can click on these photos to enlarge then on a PC.
Wat Mung Muang www.tourismthailand.org sports triple-headed Nāgas, the serpent deities worshipped in Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism.
Can’t find the name of this wat for the life of me but it was near Wat Mung Muang. Interesting that the Hindu god Ganesh also seems to be worshipped here.
The golden bird in the middle is a Hongsa, a mythical swan, that you will often see around temples. In Indian mythology, from which it originates, it is said to eat pearls.
Wat Phra Sing www.tourismthailand.org is noted for the quality of its Lanna craftsmanship.
Wat Phra Kaew www.watphrakaew-chiangrai.com once housed the Emerald Buddha, Thailand’s most revered Buddha image.
Wat Srikerd has some impressive nagas guarding its entrance.
The most famous wat in Chiang Rai is Wat Rong Khun or ‘the White Temple’, a modern private temple opened in 1997, but as it requires a trip out of town I didn’t go to see it.
A trip to the market was more important for me…