Chiangmai Temples
On our first day in Chiangmai we went around Chiangmai city, and looked at the many Buddhist temples. There are over 300 Buddhist Temples in Chiangmai. The temples are funded by donations made by locals and tourists. The temples are beautifully finished and made to stand out, using colourful glass and gold leaf and dragons.

Detail of Temple Roof
Each temple houses a Buddha as their centre piece. A Buddha is a very Holy person in Buddhism. The word Buddha means ‘He woke up’. The man who started Buddhism was named Siddhartha Gautama. Some people call him the Buddha, but others call anyone who has found enlightenment, Buddha. If you are close to finding enlightenment, you are called, Bottishattva. Some people pray to the Buddha, but it is important to note, that they do not see Buddha as God, but as a teacher.
A Buddha is a human being who has woken up and can see the true way the world works. This knowledge totally changes the person beyond birth, death, and rebirth. Nothing can annoy him anymore, even the circulation of incarnation, since his enlightenment put him outsides of this eternity circle in time and space. This person can help others become enlightened too in a proper way. (Wiki)
Wat Phrathat Doi Suthep is the cities most popular temple, and dates back to 1383. Wat Chiang Mang is the oldest Temple in the city, that dates back to the 13th Century.
We went to see many temples, we can’t remember all of the names as there were so many. We went into the temples and spoke with the Monks. They are very friendly and happy for you to go and talk with them. The monks live in the monestary and study there. They are given food and donations by locals and tourists. You can purchase baskets of food in the town, that you take to the temple, to donate to the monks. They live off these donations.

Talking with two Buddhist Novices
The temples are open for everyone to take a look, and they are very happy to talk with you about the temples. They are very friendly and very welcoming. It is respectful to cover your arms and legs before going into the temples, and also to take your shoes off. They have clothing outside a lot of the temples, if you need to cover up.
Ruth and Paul
January 12th, 2022 at 10:57 pm
2roughly…
…