How many stops are on the History walking tour in Chiang Mai?

The History route in Chiang Mai includes 8 curated stops.

How long does the History tour in Chiang Mai take?

The History walking tour in Chiang Mai takes approximately 4 hours at a leisurely pace.

Is the History walking tour in Chiang Mai free?

Yes, Promenario's History tour in Chiang Mai is free to download and use, with full offline support.

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai, Thailand

History in Chiang Mai

Historic districts, heritage sites, and origin stories. Explore 8 curated stops in Chiang Mai, including Wat Chedi Luang, Wat Chiang Man, and Tha Phae Gate. Highlights include Wat Chedi Luang, rated 4.7/5 by 8,126 visitors.

8 stops ~4h Available in app

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8 places in this collection

History places

8 places in this collection

Image by Vyacheslav Argenberg, CC BY 4.0

Wat Chedi Luang

Wat Chedi Luang (lit. temple of the big stupa or temple of the royal stupa) is a Buddhist temple. The current temple grounds were originally made up of three temples — Wat Chedi Luang, Wat Ho Tham and Wat Sukmin. The construction of the temple started in the 14th century, when King Saen Muang Ma planned to bury the ashes of his father there. After 10 years of building time it was left unfinished, later to be continued after the death of the king by his widow. Probably due to stability problems it took until the mid-15th century to be finished during the reign of king Tilokaraj. It was then 82 m high and had a base diameter of 54 m, at that time the largest building of all Lanna. In 1468, the Emerald Buddha was installed in the eastern niche. In 1545, the upper 30 m of the structure collapsed after an earthquake, and shortly thereafter, in 1551, the Emerald Buddha was moved to Luang Prabang. In the early 1990s the chedi was reconstructed, financed by UNESCO and the Japanese government. However the result is somewhat controversial, as some claim the new elements are in Central Thai style, not Lanna style. For the 600th anniversary of the chedi in 1995, a copy of the Emerald Buddha made from black jade was placed in the reconstructed eastern niche. The icon is named official Phra Phut Chaloem Sirirat, but is commonly known as Phra Yok.Also on the temple grounds is the city pillar (Lak Mueang) of Chiang Mai, named Sao Inthakin. It was moved to this location in 1800 by King Chao Kawila; it was originally located in Wat Sadeu Muang. He also planted three dipterocarp tree there, which are supposed to assist the city pillar to protect the town. A festival in honor of the city pillar is held every year in May and lasts 6 - 8 days. In a wihan near the entrance to the temple is the Buddha statue named Phra Chao Attarot (Eighteen-cubit Buddha), which was cast in the late 14th century. On the other side of the chedi is another pavilion housing a reclining Buddha statue. Wat Chedi Luang hosts monk chats every day - tourists are invited to speak with monks (usually novices) and ask them anything about Buddhism or Thailand.

Image by Leo Zaza, CC BY 2.0

Wat Chiang Man

The oldest Temple in Chiang Mai town, Wat Chiang Man was built in 1296 by King Mengrai of Lanna kingdom. The temple is famous for its Lanna-style chedi supported by rows of elephant-shaped buttresses. The beautiful Lanna-style ordination hall enshrines an ancient Buddha image named Phra Kaew Khao, revered by Chiang Mai locals. Wat Chiang Man is situated off of Ratchapakhinai Road in the northeast corner of the old city. Some sights to see inside the temple are: - Chedi Chang Lom: the 'Elephant Chedi' is the oldest construction within the temple complex. The square base supports a second level which has the front half of 15 life-sized brick-and-stucco elephants emerging from it. The elephants seem to carry the upper levels of the building on their backs. The gilded upper part of the chedi contains a bell shaped relic chamber directly underneath the pinnacle. - Main Wihan: the larger of the two wihans was renovated in the 1920s by the monk Khru Ba Srivichai. The building houses a large mondop structure for an altar surrounded by Buddha statues. One of the standing Buddha's has the year 1465 CE engraved on its base, which would make it the oldest statue of the Lanna Kingdom. It is also the oldest statue of Thailand which shows the Buddha with an alms bowl. The façade of the wihan features gilded carvings of Kirtimukha in between flower and plant motives. - New Wihan: the smaller of the two wihans houses two important statues of the Buddha which, due to their protective powers, are regarded as the Palladium statues of Chiang Mai: - The Phra Sae Tang Khamani is also known as the 'Phra Kaew Khao' or 'Crystal Buddha'. This 10 cm tall statue is carved out of a clear quartz crystal. According to Oliver Hargreave,[3] the statue was crafted around 200 CE for King Ramraj of Lopburi and brought to the Hariphunchai Kingdom (present day Lamphun) by Queen Jamadevi in 662 CE. It was only transferred to Chiang Mai by King Mangrai in 1296 after he had conquered Lamphun. As it survived the pillaging of that city, the statue is thought to protect against disasters. However, Carol Stratton[4] dates the statue as having been created in the 15th century based on its style characteristics. The gold covered wooden base and golden canopy are later additions donated by King Inthawichayanon of Chiang Mai in 1874. Together they contain more than 6 kg of gold. - The Phra Sila statue is a stone stele depicting a standing Buddha whilst taming the elephant 'Nalagiri' in bas-relief. The temple states that the statue originated from India before being transferred to its present location. However, others believe the statue originated from Ceylon (present day Sri Lanka) and might date from either the 8th or 10th century CE depending on the source[citation needed]. Due to the religious belief that the statue has rain-giving powers, this statue features prominently in the Songkran festival at the end of the dry season. - Ubosot: in front of the ubosot one can find a stone stele from the year 1581 CE. This stele contains the oldest mentioning of the founding date of Chiang Mai: the 12th of April, 1296 CE at 4 am. It also mentions that the ubosot was commissioned by King Mangrai and that Phya Saen Luang had it restored in 1571. The present building was built in the 19th century. - Ho Trai: the Temple Library (scripture depository) of Wat Chiang Man is of a fairly plain design when compared to the Ho Trai belonging to Wat Phra Singh. It is a wooden building set on top of a high plastered brick base. Most temples in Chiang Mai do not feature a Ho Trai. - Lotus Pond - as with Ho Trai, temple ponds do not feature at most Chiang Mai temples. Both Wat Phra Singh and Wat Chiang Man have one. Opening hours: 8.00 am-5.00 pm

Image by Hartmann Linge, CC BY-SA 3.0

Tha Phae Gate

The Tha Phae gate. When the city was founded by King Mangrai in 1296 these gates together with other gates (Chang Puak, Chiang Mai, Pratu Soan Dok) protect the old city. Tha Phae gate lies on the east of the city and made of Red bricks stone. Like the other gates, the original water moat is still surrounding it. Today Tha Phae gate is like the central square of Chiang Mai's old city where tourists and locals alike relax, enjoy, taking photos/videos, celebrate and just have fun. Many street food stalls around the square, artists displaying their craft and skills and cultural events take place here including the Loy Krathong festival. There are plenty of hotels, restaurants, cafes, bars and shops around the area. Tha Phae road also starts here entering the old city, where many of its ancient beautiful temples still stands there. During Sunday Walking street night market this gate serves as the core point where the market begins. Chiang Mai is the cultural, artistic and modern capital of Northern Thailand and till today it has preserved its fine arts, glory and beauty. The Gates are its roots preserving and protecting it for the past 700 years and more.

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Image by Department of Tourism Thailand: LannaPhoto, CC BY-SA 3.0

Warorot Market

It is a major market selling local foods such as sour pork, Northern Thai spicy sausage, Vietnamese-style sausage, chili paste, etc. It opens from morning to evening. The market at the back of the Ping River is the flower market. At night, there are fresh flowers for sale. Warorot Market is located where Chang Moi Road and Witchayanon Road converge. it can also accessed from the corner of Lao Jok Alley. It opens in early morning. Some of the shops open since 5 a.m. Clothes and souvenirs shops are closed at about 6 - 7 p.m. However, the alley next to the market opens to 11 p.m. This market has a long history. Originally, the current location was the place of the crematorium for funerals and the mortuary urns of many Chiang Mai rulers. After Dararatsami, the wife of King Chulalongkorn ordered to move those mortuary urns to Wat Suan Dok and collected her own money and money from Intrawarorot, the ruler of Chiang Mai in that period to build a market in this area. Warorot Market was named after the name of Intrawaroro. The local have called it Kad Luang until now.

Image by Pixabay user iTenz, CC0

Three Kings Monument

The Three Kings Monument stands majestically in front of the old town hall. Phra Pok Klao Road And is a place where Chiang Mai people or tourists come to worship. Three Kings Monument If we turn to the monument, we will find that the middle one is Phaya Mangrai, the right one is Phaya Ruang, and the left one is Phaya Ngam Muang. These three kings are regarded as the creators of the Lanna kingdom. and Nopburi, Si Nakhon Ping, Chiang Mai to be prosperous for more than 700 years. It is considered a monument of historical value. Which can be considered as the symbol of the city of Chiang Mai that has it all. behind the monument Now it is the Chiang Mai City Arts and Cultural Center. which exhibits the history and interesting stories of Chiang Mai It's good to come and collect information first. It's called a warm-up for walking around Chiang Mai.

Image by Stefan Fussan, CC BY-SA 3.0

Chiang Mai City Arts & Cultural Center

Regal cultural museum featuring historical & artistic exhibits to preserve local heritage. The building was built in 1924, which was used as the central administrative office of the Monthol Phayap - Siam’s administrative unit, and later served as the Provincial Hall of Chiang Mai. After the government hall had moved to the new building, the municipality requested to renovate the building, in order to turn it into the museum. Inside, the museum exhibits history of Chiang Mai, way of living and culture of the local since the prehistoric period. There are 15 halls categorized into chronological sequences; Prehistoric period, city establishing history, the rise and the dawn of city until Chiang Mai at present, intellectual way of wisdom life, and pride cultural identity of Chiang Mai people, presenting with high technology media, such as slide, video, computer program, Dioramas model, graphics board, and audiovisual displays. Operating Hours: Tuesdays to Sundays including public holiday, from 08.30-17.00 hrs.

Image by LannaPhoto, CC BY-SA 4.0

Thapae Walking Street

It is a walking street opening every Sunday. Each Sunday afternoon until midnight this street becomes a gallery for local arts & crafts. There are many goods, especially local items and hand made items. The street is located from Thapae Gate through Klangwiang intersection and split along the four lines of the intersection to Wat Phrasing. There are local goods, clothing, northern-style bags, pictures, handicrafts, local food, snacks, souvenirs, and silverware, which are not inexpensive.

Image by Stefan Fussan, CC BY-SA 3.0

Wat Inthakin Sadue Muang

Small Buddhist temple with traditional Lanna architecture, once the site of the sacred city pillar. Inthakhin (Thai: อินทขีล; lit. "Indra's pillar") is the name of the Lak Mueang (the "city pillar") of Chiang Mai. It is said that the pillar was first erected by King Mangrai at the founding of the city on April 12, 1296 CE at Wat Sadue Mueang (lit. "Temple of the Navel of the City"; also known as Wat Inthakhin) on Inthawarorot road. It was brought to its present location inside a shrine on the temple grounds of Wat Chedi Luang by the Lanna king Kawila in 1800 CE. The Inthakhin or Lak Mueang Festival (also known as Sai Khan Dok or Bucha Sao Inthakhin in Thai), starts on the 12th day of the waning moon of the six lunar month and lasts eight days. Centered around Wat Chedi Luang, this is a celebration of Brahmic origin. On the first day, which is called Tam Bun Khan Dok (lit. "Flower Bowl Blessing"), offerings of flowers, candles and incense are made to the city pillar as well as the many other Buddhist and Lanna-era icons. Dancing, musical performances, carnival games, and Thai vendor food is present. This is a very large celebration in which the Chiang Mai citizenry participate. According to the legend on which the festival is based, in the time before Chiang Mai was founded, the Lawa people who then lived there received a pillar from the god Indra to protect them against disaster. After this original pillar was again removed by order of Indra, the Lawa were then told to place a replica of the pillar in its stead, and, if this pillar continued to be venerated and the people lived virtuous lives, the city would gain prosperity and be protected against harm.

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