Thailand (Lonely Planet, 13th Edition) - China Williams [233]
A marvellously grisly image of the fasting Buddha – ribs, veins and all – can be seen in the grounds on top of the tunnel hill, along with a very large and highly venerated chedi. Also on the grounds is a small artificial lake, surrounded by gù·ì (monastic cottages).
Resident foreign monks give dhamma talks in English on Sunday afternoon at 3pm by the lake.
Wat U Mong is accessible from a series of small lanes off Th Suthep near Chiang Mai University. Once you reach the university, keep an eye out for signs pointing the way. Note that there is another temple named Wat U Mong in Chiang Mai. To make sure a srng·ta·ou or túk-túk driver understands you want this one ask for ‘Wat U Mong Thera Jan’.
CHIANG MAI NIGHT SAFARI
The slick Night Safari (0 5399 9050; www.chiangmainightsafari.com; Rte 121/Th Klorng Chonprathan; 1pm-midnight Mon-Fri, 10am-midnight Sat & Sun) was one of former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra’s mega-projects, intended to upgrade Chiang Mai’s image to appeal to the business-class tourist.
The attraction is open during the day but the real action happens at night during the ‘Predator Prowl’ and ‘Savannah Safari’ (admission adult/child 500/300B), when an open-sided bus transports visitors through the parkland. The English-language tram leaves at 7.45pm and 9.30pm and the tour takes about two hours. The night safari differs from the Chiang Mai Zoo in that some animals – like wildebeests, giraffes, white rhinoceroses and zebras – are allowed to roam and often come right up to the bus. In the ‘Predator Prowl’ section, the tigers, lions, Asiatic black bears and crocodiles are kept at a safe distance by deep trenches.
During the day you can visit the Jaguar Trail (admission adult/child 100/50B) that encircles Swan lake, a 1.2km walk where over 50 species (ranging from rabbits to cranes) are generally not in cages, except of course the trail’s namesake animal.
The Night Safari is about 12km from central Chiang Mai and a srng·ta·ou should cost about 100B. You can also book this through a tour agency that handles hotel transfer. When it was built, it caused much controversy because of its primary location on 1.3 million sq km of Doi Suthep National Park land, and the consequential (and as yet unassessed) environmental impact it may have.
North of the Old City
Sights north of the old city through Pratu Chang Pheuak (the ‘white elephant gate’, a reference to the elephant who carried the sacred relic to Doi Suthep) are less of a tourist draw, which is a draw in itself for some. These sights tend to be too far spread out to visit on foot; it is advisable to hire your own transport.
WAT CHIANG YEUN
Another unique local temple is 16th-century Wat Chiang Yeun (Map; Th Mani Nopharat), just northeast of Pratu Chang Pheuak. Besides the large northern-style chedi here, the main attraction is an old Burmese colonial-style gate and pavilion on the eastern side of the school grounds attached to the wát. This area of Chiang Mai was historically settled by Shan people and the shops still maintain that ethnic identity, catering to Shan and Burmese temple-goers with such products as pickled tea leaves (mêe·ang in Thai) and Shan-style noodles.
WAT KU TAO
North of the moat, Wat Ku Tao (Map; 0 5321 1842; Soi 6, Th Chang Pheuak) dates from 1613 and has a unique chedi that looks like a pile of diminishing spheres, a Tai Lü design common in Yunnan, China. The chedi is said to contain the ashes of Tharawadi Min, a son of the Burmese king Bayinnaung, ruler of Lanna from 1578 to 1607.
WAT JET YOT
Dedicated temple-spotters are the prime candidates for Wat Jet Yot (Map; 0 5322 1947; Th Superhighway). It was built to host the eighth World Buddhist Council in 1477, a momentous occasion for the Lanna capital. To the back of the temple compound are the ruins of the old wí·hhn, which was supposed to be a replica of the Mahabodhi Temple in Bodhgaya, India, but the proportions don’t match up. Some scholars assume that the blueprint for the temple must have come from a small votive tablet depicting the Mahabodhi in distorted perspective.