Wat Indrakin Sadue Muang, Wat Pantao, and Wat Chedi Luang: Temple Hopping in Chiang Mai Part 1

After our late lunch, we just walked around. Guided by maps and by asking around, we went to see several wats (temples). The place we are in has a lot of temples in it. You can't walk past a street or two without seeing one.

When visiting temples, make sure to dress appropriately. Footwear are also not allowed inside the temples. Most of the temples do not collect entrance fee, but are accepting cash donations from visitors. However, some, usually the grander temples, has entrance fee.

The first temple we saw was Wat Indrakin Sadue Muang.

Wat Indrakin has a museum which is open to the public for free. I went inside and was alone for quite sometime. The photo below is a mural inside the museum. They also have wax figures of their Kings that look eerily real.

Across the temple, just a short walk is the Three Kings monument, a popular landmark in the area. Gatherings are also held in this place.

We found a triplet!

Next temple we saw was Wat Pantao, which is bigger that Wat Indrakin but is built with simpler materials.

 

 

The sun was already setting when we went out of the temple to go to another one. On our way, we were amused by this mango tree bearing a lot of fruits which we thought were real.

Chiang Mai's art scene is very much alive. There are a lot of artworks and crafts displayed and sold in the streets.

We found our way to Wat Chedi Luang. At the entrance is a great tree which is over a hundred years old. It was planted when the temple was built. There is an entrance fee to the temple, I just forgot how much.

Wat Chedi Luang displays grandness in its golden pagoda. The design of the front part of the temple is very intricate, with gold and other palettes intertwined.

 

Located beside Wat Chedi Luang is Inthakhin Pillar Vihara where women are not allowed because of their menstruation. It is believed that menstruation ruins the sanctity of the city pillar.

 

Inside the compound are other grand structures.

 

 

The wax figures inside the temples seemed real I had to look closely to check if they are real or otherwise. 

At night, Wat Chedi Luang turns to gold.

 

It was already dark when we left the temple. We walked to look for a place to eat. On our way we passed by a school and through the steel walls, I managed to take a video of the one of the works exhibited for Chiang Mai Design Week. Medyo creepy ang sound.

Tired aunties capped off our first night at Fah Lanna cafe, just a short walk from where we're staying. We accidentally discovered it while looking for some coffee fix. It's a cozy place, and they serve a variety of drinks, pastries, and meals. It instantly became our hang out place at the end of the day since then.