Wat Phra That Doi Tung

Wat Phra That Doi Tung is a revered Buddhist temple atop Doi Tung mountain in Mae Fa Luang District, Chiang Rai Province, northern Thailand. Perched at about 1,400 meters elevation near the Myanmar border, it is famous for its twin gilded chedis enshrining a Buddha relic. Dating to the 10th century, it is one of Chiang Rai's oldest and most sacred pilgrimage sites, offering panoramic mountain views and significant Lanna religious architecture.

Visitors can expect a mountaintop temple complex with twin gilded chedis, a viharn, and terraces offering panoramic views over northern Thailand and Myanmar. The site is reached via a winding mountain road and a long Naga-flanked stairway. Inside, visitors see Buddha images, murals, and relic shrines in a tranquil forested setting with cool mountain air, souvenir and food stalls near the parking area, and viewpoints around the courtyard.

Traditionally believed to have been founded in 911 CE during the reign of King Achutarat of Ngoenyang, Wat Phra That Doi Tung is one of the oldest temples in northern Thailand. It was built to enshrine a relic of the Buddha's left collarbone. The twin chedis were later restored and embellished, notably during the restoration led by Kruba Srivichai in the early 20th century, reflecting Lanna architectural heritage.

The temple is one of the most sacred Buddhist pilgrimage sites in northern Thailand and is the tutelary chedi for those born in the Year of the Pig according to Lanna belief. It remains an active place of worship, merit-making, and annual pilgrimage, symbolizing the spread of Buddhism in the region and the cultural identity of Chiang Rai.