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Chiang Mai, Chiang Mai Province · 18.7938°, 98.9890°
The oldest temple inside the walls of Chiang Mai, founded in 1297 by King Mangrai as the city was being laid out. Its Chedi Chang Lom is buttressed by fifteen life-size brick-and-stucco elephants, the wihan holds a Buddha image of 1465 said to be the oldest surviving Thai image shown with an alms bowl, and a stone inscription of 1581 in the ubosot records the city’s founding on 12 April 1296.
What follows is the temple’s own traditional account, transmitted through liturgy and local memory. It is recorded here as tradition, not as attested history.
The small quartz Phra Sae Tang Khamani is believed to protect the city, and the stone Phra Sila, carved with the Buddha subduing the elephant Nalagiri, is credited with the power to bring rain.
coordinates: wikipedia-2026-08-28 · sources retrieved 2026-08-26 · dynasty page: Mangrai (Lan Na)
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