The Pung Tao Gong Temple is the oldest ancestral temple of the Chinese in Chiang Mai. The present structure replaced an ancient temple that had fallen to disrepair over the years.
Pung Tao Gong Temple was built by the Chinese residents of Chiang Mai in 1876. The date is engraved on one of its roof beams. It was rebuilt by the Chinese residents of Chiang Mai and opened for worship in 1998 to celebrate 700th anniversary of the formation of the city. The new structure strictly follows the principles of Feng Shui. Two shop buildings in front of the temple were demolished to allow the better flow of Chi or life force and to get a better view of the River Ping.
The present Pung Tao Gong Temple is built using traditional Chinese architecture. Brightly colored arches lead the way to the temple. The columns and pagodas are richly decorated. Visitors cross a small lane to reach the main temple. Here the floor is covered with tiles depicting dragons and other creatures from Chinese mythology. It is a functioning place of worship and the overpowering smell of incense permeates the air. The Pung Tao Gong Temple has a unique ambience compared to the other Thai temples in Chiang Mai.

The Wat Buppharam or Suan Dok is a small Buddhist temple in Chiang Mai. It was built during the Lanna period but was renovated several times and none of the Lanna structures remain today.
The Wat Buppharam was built by the Lanna King, Muang Kaew in 1497 as a place for a revered monk from Sukothai to spend his rain retreat. It is an important historical site in Chiang Mai. It was here that 200 years of Burmese rule ended after their defeat by Chao Kawila in 1797 and Lanna rule was restored. The Buddhist images are over 300 years old and the Viharn or assembly hall is 200 years old.
The structure of the Wat Buppharam was given a complete makeover in 1996 to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the reign of King Bhumibul Adulyadej. New doors were added to the Viharn and some of the ancient Buddhist images were replaced. A library was also built within the temple complex. Notable features of the temple are the large Ubosot or ordination hall and the Chedis with the ashes of the rulers of Chiang Mai. The temple complex also houses the Mahachulalongkorn Rajavidyalaya Buddhist University. The present Wat Buppharam has many stucco reliefs, murals and wood carvings that are fine examples of modern religious art.

The Wat Ou Sai Kham is on Chang Moi Kao Street near the Ta Pae Gate in Chiang Mai. The small temple is famous for its Jade Buddha statues and unique imagery.
The Wat Ou Sai Kham is more than 300 years old. The first temple that stood on the site was abandoned because the villagers were too poor to support a temple and monastery. It was rebuilt in 1841 AD on land donated by a lady from Chiang San in Chiang Rai province. She gave the name Ou Sai Kham or the Temple of the Golden Sands to the Wat.
The Wat Ou Sai Kham has a 170 year old Big Buddha statue from the Lanna era. The important statue is the jade Buddha that is a 109 centimeters high and weighs 900 kilograms. The figure has a Lanna style posture of the Buddha conquering the evil Mara. It is the largest Buddha statue made of Burmese jade in Thailand. There is a Phra Sang-Krachi statue and visitors and locals are encouraged to rub the belly of the figure for luck. The temple also has a simple Chedi or Stupa and a small assembly hall or Viharn. The interiors of the Viharn are covered with beautiful religious murals.

The Wat Chiang Man is the oldest temple in Chiang Mai. It was built by the Lanna King Mengrai who laid the foundations of the city.
The Wat Chiang Man was built in 1296. King Mengrai lived at the temple while his palace was being built. A stele dated 1581 near the Ubosot records that the foundation of the city of Chaing Mai was on April 12th 1296 at 4 pm. The relics and sculpture in the temple show the influence of Buddhists from Sri Lanka.
The small Viharn or assembly hall in the Wat Chiang Man complex contains the crystal Buddha which once belonged to Chama Devi the queen of Haripunchai. King Mengrai burned the kingdom of Haripunchai and founded Chiang Mai. The Crystal Buddha dates back to the year 663 AD. The other statue in the Viharn is the Marble Buddha. Locals pray to the idol for rain and on April 1st a rain festival is held annually. The large Viharn has the oldest Buddhist statue in Chiang Mai. Installed in the year 1465, it depicts the Buddha holding a begging bowl. There is a 15th century Stupa with carved elephants on its stone walls showing the influence of monks from Sri Lanka. The temple complex also has a repository of religious scriptures and a lotus pond.

Located a few miles west of Chiang Mai City and south of the University of Chiang Mai is the Wat Umong. It is in a natural setting at the foot of the Doi Suthep Mountain.
Wat Umong was constructed over 700 years ago and still retains its rural ambience. It gets its name from the tunnels under the Stupa. Umong in Thai is tunnel. They were created by a Lanna King to prevent an eccentric monk called Thera Jan from wandering into the thick jungle surrounding the monastery. The tunnels are covered with beautiful religious murals that date back to the year 1380.
The monks at the temple feed the deer that wander into the grounds. Visitors are allowed to feed the turtles and fish in the small lake within the temple complex and fish food is available at the gates. Signs with wise sayings in Thai and English are hung along the path leading to the lake. There is a little island in the middle called Pigeon Island. A notable feature in the complex is a pillar similar to that made by the Indian Buddhist emperor Ashoka in Sarnath which is today, India’s national symbol. Informal Dharma discussions are held at Wat Umong on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays.

Wat Sadeu Muang is also called Wat Inthakin and the Temple of the City Navel. The city pillar was first brought to this temple and remained here for an extended period of time. It is also said that this was the site where one of the kings of the Lanna decided to establish the city of Chiang Mai. According to tradition, the remains of this king were brought here as well. The city pillar was later moved to another location and the temple lost some of its importance.

The Wat Chedi Luang is a large ruined temple located in the heart of the old city area of Chiang Mai. It gets its name from the large Chedi or Stupa that once formed part of the temple complex.
The construction of Wat Chedi Luang was begun by King Saen Muang Ma to hold the ashes of his father, Ku Na. His successors further expanded the temple and construction was completed in 1475. At the time, it housed the Emerald Buddha regarded as the holiest religious object in Thailand. In 1575, the temple fell to ruin and was never rebuilt. In the 1990s, the UNESCO and the Japanese Government built a new Chedi in Central Thai style rather than in the traditional Lanna style of other temples in Chiang Mai.

Visitors can still see the old brick Wat. The large stairway that leads to the temple is guarded by stone figures of mythical snakes and elephants. The large Viharn or assembly hall has a brass statue of a standing Buddha installed by King Saen Muang Ma. He also planted the ancient Dipterocarp tree in the grounds. It is believed that a great catastrophe will befall the city when the tree falls. A small cross shaped building adjacent to the tree houses the city pillar dedicated to the spirit of the city. The tree and the spirit are said to protect Chiang Mai from evil and disaster.

Chaing Mai’s most important and sacred image of the Buddha, the Phra Buddha Singh is housed in the assembly hall of this ancient temple. The temple is an active place of worship and hosts important festivals.
The Wat Phra Singh was first called the Wat Li Chiang Phra. It was constructed by King Pha Yu to contain the ashes of his father, Kham Fu. In 1367, the Phra Singh image of the Buddha found its way to Chiang Mai from the Mahabodhi temple in Bodh Gaya in India. The temple gets its name from this statue of the Buddha with a unique lion style. The temple is guarded by stone lions.
The Wat Phra Singh complex consists of a large assembly hall or Viharn with a gilded copper image of the Buddha surrounded by white pillars supporting a red roof. The smaller assembly hall houses the Phra Singh statue. The hall is covered with paintings of the Buddhist folk tales, the Jataka tales. The Ubosot or ordination hall is perpendicular to the small Viharn and is decorated with elaborate mandala designs. The complex also contains a small monastic library and several Chedis including an old one dating back to 1345. The statue of Phra Singh is taken from the temple in procession around Chiang Mai during the Songkran or Thai New Year festival annually.