Thailand - Chiang Mai - Wat Chedi Luang

You can’t walk more than a couple of blocks in Chiang Mai without running into a Buddhist temple. I could write a temple blog post every day for a year (don’t worry, I won’t). But Wat Chedi Luang in the historic center is considered one of the more important ones, so here’s some photos of it.



The huge, towering Chedi (similar to a stupa) dates to the 15th century. This ruin was stabilized and partially renovated in the 1990s. The top spire was left unfinished because no one could agree on what it looked like.


Guardian nagas (serpents).



Elephant sculptures on the base of the chedi.



Inside the city pillar shrine. Women are not allowed to enter so upon exiting I naturally told Deborah that it was the most magnificent building I had ever seen.



Paintings decorate every surface inside the city pillar shrine.



Being a Buddha is tiring.



The main sanctuary.



Inside the main sanctuary with a standing Buddha flanked by two disciples.


Thai monks shave their eyebrows as well as their heads. It is said that this practice started only about 200 years ago during a war with Burma to distinguish real Thai monks from infiltrating Burmese spies dressed as monks.


This guardian spirit outside a small temple in the Chedi Luang complex is much different than the others we've seen. I love the design of it.





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