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	---> MORE Destinations: _________________________________ New Perspective of Chiang Rai at Latitude 19 VISITING A BORDER TOWN: Mae Sot – then and now The Poy Sang Long Festival in Mae Hong Son The Samoeng Strawberry Festival Far Out and Cool in Fang District PICTURE PERFECT Mon Jaem Chiang Mai Reflections and a Night Safari Adventure Wat Palad: The Temple below the Temple The Bua Tong Waterfall Park The Cave and Hot Springs of the Mae On Area A DAY TRIP TO DOI INTHANON Two wheels good four wheels…er… The Sino-Thai Dragon Temple of Wat Tha Ton Doi Inthanon - Thailand’s Highest Mountain Kad Mua - an all-you-need market Chiang Dao High! Chiang Mai’s Red Cross and Winter Fair Loy Krathong at Tak A RETREAT TO... Kwan Yin Bodhisattva Hall Living with nature: Galyani Vadhana District Treasures of Myanmar A Journey to Shangri-La Pha Wing Choo – A Lover's Cliff Wiangtakan – The Past Remains Rural Life and Natural Mystery in Chaiprakarn Taking Aim at Chiang Mai's Shooting Gallery Chiang Mai - Maerim - Samoeng Route Hot Springs (and eggs) Ratchaphruek Festival 2009 The 5th Lanna - Japan Festival 2009 Make a Day of it at the New Look Night Safari Mae Sa Snake Farm Marine Lives in a Mountainous Zoo X-Centre Mae Hong Son, Pang Oong and much more along the way... Mae Kampong Village Tiger Kingdom Pai: The Hub of Joy Flower Festival Annual Bo Sang Umbrella Festival at Bo Sang Village Wiang Kum Kam: The Underground Ancient City Loy Kratong: The Town's Joyful Festival Monkey Centre Maerim, Chiang Mai Baankwai Thai Maerim Queen Sirikit Botanic Garden THE ROYAL PALACE ON DOI SUTHEP The Night Safari Ban Saonak Chae Son National Park Lamphun's Wat Chamathevi Doi Tao Lake Mae Sai Bai the Beautiful Wieng Kum Kam Mae Klang Luang Village Doi Pui - Hmong Tribal Village Nan Province Wat Suan Dok Chiang Saen: a city in myth and reality One Night in Chiang Rai and a day across the border A trip full of tour guides Two Days and a Night in the Country The Sumptuous Angkhang Gourmet Tour AWAY FROM IT ALL IN NEARBY MAE WANG Children's Day at the Westernmost Point of Thailand To Lamphun Along the Road of Histories ESCAPING TO PAI A WINTER TRIP ON THE PING RIVER To the Back of Beyond, right on your doorstep Visiting the Shrine of the Elephant-Headed God Visiting Samui Back to Nature at Opkhan National Park Lost in the Chiang Mai Zoo Three Days through the Northern Countryside DOING A NINE-TEMPLE KARMA TRIP - Right Here in Chiang Mai An Early Summer Trip to the Thi Lo Su Falls Nan: Forest, Temples and the Salt of the Earth TREKKING AND TUCKING IN: Wawee Coffee Plantation Mai Long Yee - Lovely Whatever Else You Call It Magnificent Creatures at Wat Changkham Off to See Some Mural Paintings in Lampang The Salawin and the People of Tha Tafang A Hike in the Forest A Journey back in time A Long Night of Luxury in the Chiang Dao Valley Ice-cold in Omkoy A Quick Visit to a Karen Wedding Strawberry Fields Forever A quick ride to Jaesorn National Park A Journey to Wawee A Birding Trip for Newbies Nam Bor Phi Cave A Breath of Sea Air Shopping With a Difference: Kad Luang Airport ELEPHANTS AND ORCHIDS AND THE SNACKS IN BETWEEN Monsoon Miscellany MAE RIM LAGOON AN IMPRESSIVE TRIP - to the Sukantara Resort Visiting Luang Prabang, the Pearl on the Mekong River Phrae: refreshing trip, auspicious visits Up on the Mountain (again) at Khun Wang UP THE MOUNTAIN TO THUNG LUANG SINGAPORE - City of Parks A Short Sight-Seeing Trip to the Monkey Centre GIVE PAI A TRY! You won’t regret it A BUSY DAY’S VISIT TO SANKAMPAENG A Rainy Day Outing to Phrao Monsoon Miscellany TRIPPING AND TASTING ALONG THE HANDICRAFT HIGHWAYS

DESTINATION:
Wat Suan Dok

Wat Suan Dok (‘The Temple of the Flower Garden') was built in 1371 by King Guna, the sixth ruler of the Mengrai dynasty of the Lanna kingdom. This temple was established in the royal flower garden donated by the King in honour of the first Supreme Patriarch of Lanna, who was invited from Sukhothai to disseminate Buddhism in this region.

This temple is recognized as being an outstanding example of Lanna architecture. It features many unusual aspects in its structural details - as, for example, the open-sided vihara with its massive bronze Buddha image, named Phra Chao Kao Tu (the word kao means nine, and tu being Lanna's weight measurement equivalent to a ton), arguably Lanna's most beautiful Buddha statue. It stands - well, sits to be more precise - at 3 meters wide and 4.7 meters tall and weighs about 9 tons. The construction of the image itself was breathtaking, requiring an entire year before its completion in 1509. However, it would take another four years before the king finally found a way to transport it to the main vihara of the Suan Dok temple.

Another magnificent feature of the building is the large round-based stupas outside - near the entrance on the Suthep Road. This is the royal cemetery in which the remains of the Lanna Royal family are interred. Such is the will of Princess Dararassami, one of King Rama V's Princess Consorts, who had personally chosen this temple for such a purpose in 1909. The most recent interment was carried out for a prince of the former royal house only a couple of years ago.

Much later, a monument for Kruba Srivichai, the great monk who led the people to build the famous road to Doi Suthep, was also built here in 1947.

The main white chedi in a Srilanka - Lanna crossover style is 48 metres high. It was built in 1373, and was declared a national heritage monument in 1935.

Wat Suan Dok is also the campus of the northern branch of the monk's university, and is widely known for the ‘monk chat' program held there every Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 5 - 7 pm.

How to get there?

Wat Suan Dok is on Suthep Road, at the western end of the city, and is easy to get to either by taxi or pretty well any other form of transport. However, late evening visits to this temple and any others is not recommended, except during the celebration of festivals such as Makha and Visaka Puja, when the vientieng (circumambulation) ceremony with toob, tien, dork mai - incense sticks, candles and flowers - is being performed.

Text : Terryl
Photos: SP