Just beyond Rte 11 in the north of the city, these two stucco lions were built by Chao Kavila to scare off would-be Burmese invaders. Seemingly forgotten on an artificial island, the lions are the focus of boisterous celebrations during the Suep Jata Muang festival in June, where older residents of Chiang Mai dance and make offerings to guardian spirits.
Anusawari Singh
Chiang Mai
Lonely Planet's must-see attractions
3.98 MILES
Overlooking the city from its mountain throne, Wat Phra That Doi Suthep is one of northern Thailand's most sacred temples, and its founding legend is…
1.85 MILES
Wat Chedi Luang isn't as grand as Wat Phra Singh, but its towering, ruined Lanna-style chedi (built in 1441) is much taller and the sprawling compound…
1.71 MILES
Chiang Mai's most revered temple, Wat Phra Singh is dominated by an enormous, mosaic-inlaid wí·hăhn (sanctuary). Its prosperity is plain to see from the…
2 MILES
Chiang Mai's oldest public market, Warorot (also spelt Waroros) is a great place to connect with the city's Thai soul. Alongside souvenir vendors you'll…
1.82 MILES
Without doubt the most atmospheric wát in the old city, this teak marvel sits in the shadow of Wat Chedi Luang. Set in a compound full of fluttering…
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Nam Tok Bua Tong (Sticky Waterfall)
18.72 MILES
Ever walked up a waterfall? An increasingly popular day trip from Chiang Mai to Si Lanna National Park's 'Sticky Waterfall' allows visitors (with no magic…
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3.25 MILES
A hidden jungle temple tucked into the mountain along the way to Wat Phra That Doi Suthep. Old stone structures, intricate carvings, naga-flanked…
1.65 MILES
Set inside the former Provincial Court, dating from 1935, this imaginative museum re-creates Lanna village life in a series of life-size dioramas that…
Nearby Chiang Mai attractions
0.07 MILES
Tucked away on a quiet soi behind the National Museum, this peaceful cemetery is lined with elegant Chinese gravestones, whose level of ornamentation…
0.38 MILES
Operated by the Fine Arts Department, this museum is the primary caretaker of Lanna artefacts and northern Thai history, covering everything from the…
0.65 MILES
This wát was established by King Tilokarat in 1455 as part of an effort to prevent a predicted decline in Buddhism. It still has much of its original…
0.9 MILES
Behind the Muang Chiang Mai sports stadium, photogenic, 1631 Wat Ku Tao incorporates many Burmese and Confucian elements. The distinctive chedi is said to…
0.94 MILES
These two elephant statues in stucco pavilions were said to have been erected by King Chao Kavila in 1800.
1.16 MILES
The more colourful of Chiang Mai's two Hindu temples is the brightly painted mandir (traditional shrine room) and the sikhara (tower) of Devi Mandir…
1.2 MILES
A handsome wooden complex dotted with terracotta sculptures, this is one of the most attractive wát outside the city walls. It is thought to have been…
1.25 MILES
Another unique local temple is 16th-century Wat Chiang Yeun, just northeast of Pratu Chang Pheuak. Besides the large northern-style chedi here, the main…