Wat Chiang Man Temple

Address: Wat Chiang Man, Chiang Mai Old City, Chiang Mai, Thailand

Hours: Daily 6:00-18:00

Admission: Temple complex access generally free; donations customary for certain shrines.

Wat Chiang Man is the oldest Buddhist temple in Chiang Mai, Thailand, founded in 1296 at the city’s establishment by King Mangrai. It remains an active temple complex within the old city’s walls.

The temple complex contains traditional Lanna-era structures including a chedi, viharn, and ordination hall, and is noted for housing important early Buddha images and historic artifacts. Its compact layout and central location make it a frequent stop for visitors exploring the old city.

Originally established as the first royal temple of Chiang Mai, Wat Chiang Man has seen multiple restorations and additions over the centuries that reflect successive Lanna and Thai architectural influences. It continues to serve both monastic functions and public worship.

Wat Chiang Man sits in the northeastern section of Chiang Mai’s old city, close to the moat and within easy walking distance of the city center.

• Date and status: Founded in 1296, it is the oldest temple in Chiang Mai and lies inside the city’s historic walled district.

Located in Chiang Mai’s Old City near the east wall; a short walk from Tha Phae Gate and the central moat. Tuk-tuks and songthaews circle the old city; walking is often the fastest way to reach the temple from nearby guesthouses.

• Visit early morning to see monk rituals and avoid the heat - the ubosot (ordination hall) is quietest at dawn.
• Look for the Chiang Mai-style Lanna stucco work and the temple's cryptic elephant imagery carved into door frames.
• Combine with a walk through the old city's moat and walls; Wat Chiang Man is near the Thapae Gate area and easy to include in a heritage loop.

The oldest temple in Chiang Mai, Wat Chiang Man was built in 1296 by King Mangrai in the northeast corner of the old city. It is typical of Lanna temples, with a large and a small viharn facing the entrance, a bot to the left, a chedi behind the two viharn and a scripture library on stilts over a small pond at the rear.

The temple’s most important treasures are housed in the small viharn to the right of the entrance. Phra Sila, a stone bas-relief, was imported from either India or Sri Lanka around 2,500 years ago and is believed to have the power to bring rain. Its tiny counterpart, Phra Sae Tang Kamani (the Crystal Buddha), stands only about 10 centimetres high, is thought to have come from Lopburi some 1,800 years ago, and is credited with the power to protect against disaster after surviving a fire. The murals in the larger viharn, added more recently, reflect typical Lanna scenes executed exclusively in red and gold.

Round the back stands the chedi chang lom, a fine Lanna-style stupa with a ring of elephants guarding its base and a gilded cap. In front of the bot is an inscribed stone dating back more than 400 years, the first known reference to the city’s founding.