Wat Phrathat Doi Tong

Up on a hill at the northwest corner of town is the old temple of Wat Phrathat Doi Tong. The temple was supposedly started by the Prince of Chiang Rai in 940. Its golden chedi (pagoda) is visible from far away when approaching the city from the north.

Wat Prathat Doi Tong — The pagoda and main chapel of Wat Phrathat Doi Tong

The wiharn (chapel) appears quite modern and is not very interesting. The exterior is not very fancy as Thai temples go. Inside, the hall is decorated in the red and gold typical of northern temples. There are some nice contemporary murals on the wall.

A short way down the north side of the hill, a Chinese shrine backs into the hillside under the temple. The red-and-gold sign on the porch of the shrine curiously reads (in thai) "Hall [of] the godfather [of] Doi Tong." Yes, "godfather" is the correct common translation of the Thai. There's a good view north of Chiang Rai from the shrine, and a stairway leads down to the road that can take you across the Kok River.

At the very peak of the hill, just south of the temple grounds, is the new City Pillar which was erected in 1988.

In this section

City Pillar

On the flattened top of Doi Tong, next to the Phrathat Doi Tong temple, is the curious City Pillar of Chiang Rai. Chiang Rai's new City Pillar, erected in 1988 Most major Thai cities have a City Pillar, called Lak Muang in Thai, although in many cases they have been erected in recent times. The pillar usually marks the center of town, and all distances from a city are measured from the pillar.