Doi Suthep mountain, Chiang Mai · 18.8048°, 98.9217°
The mountain shrine of the North, its gilded chedi flashing over Chiang Mai from 1,000 m up Doi Suthep. Reached by a 306-step naga stairway; the road up was built in 1935 by tens of thousands of volunteers summoned by the charismatic monk Khruba Siwichai, finishing in under six months — northern Thailand's proudest act of collective merit.
A relic of the Buddha, brought north, miraculously doubled; one half was mounted on a white elephant let loose to choose its shrine — the beast climbed Doi Suthep, trumpeted three times, knelt and died: the chedi rose where it fell.
coordinates: wikipedia-2026-08-26 · sources retrieved 2026-08-26 · dynasty page: Lan Na