Doi Suthep

A mountain that has been part of the city and the sky since I was born. I've visited countless times since I can remember. The last time was during university when I joined the freshman hike up the mountain, walking over 14 kilometers. Was it exhausting? Absolutely. But reaching the top was the most heartwarming feeling, receiving encouragement from seniors, friends, and juniors from all faculties. Since graduating, I’ve gone every year without fail.

a beautiful temple on the mountain in Chiang Mai. From there you can see overview of Chiang Mai city

Let's go worship at Phra That Doi Suthep. This is the third time I've been here. If I have the chance, I'll definitely go again.

I bought a half-day tour of Suthep Mountain and Bhuping Palace on Taobao, but it happened to rain that day, and it was quite heavy. I didn't see the panoramic view of Chiang Mai, which was a bit regretful. But the tour guide took us to Doi Suthep Temple and told us the origin of Doi Suthep Temple, and saw the white elephant sculpture with ashes, the photo of the big rooster that chased and pecked at someone's feet when he entered Doi Suthep Temple with shoes, and the origin of the wooden carving of Doi Suthep Temple. It feels like there are stories everywhere, and I like it very much. The scenery in Bhuping Palace is very good. Although it was raining, it did not affect its beauty. There are many orchids and roses inside. When entering Bhuping Palace, there will be staff who specifically examine the clothes of tourists. If the pants do not reach the calf, they will be asked to rent a pair of pants for 15B. It is said that the three princesses of Thailand lived here a few days ago. The palace is not open when the princess and the king are on vacation. We are lucky enough to at least have a tour.

Suthep Temple is also called Shuanglong Temple. It is magnificent and bright under the sun, which makes people cautious and pious. There are many tourists. The ticket for foreigners is 150 baht. We called a songthaew and drove up the mountain at lightning speed. The 18 bends on the road will make people with motion sickness very uncomfortable, so be prepared! We also went to the Phuping Palace 4km above for an hour. It is suitable for the elderly, children, flower lovers and beautiful ladies to take pictures. The ticket is 50 baht. People with short clothes need to rent long clothes at the door.

We hired a songthaew to go up the mountain. I was about to throw up because I didn't sleep well and ate too much breakfast (I was able to stand the 90 bends in the Pudacuo National Park in Shangri-La without falling down... Fortunately, I bought white flower oil in HK, but I got off topic. The temple on the mountain is very Thai-style and worth a visit... There are still many Thai people worshipping, which makes it feel very local~ It's a pity that the weather was bad on the day I went there, otherwise the temple would be shining with gold!!

The first stop, Su Tie Shan 4, climbing slope elevator 5, the tour guide said that one of the Buddha's birthday trees was presented by India. Sakyamuni was born under such a tree when his mother gave birth to him. She took seven steps when she was born. The lotus flower 6 is Sakyamuni's tree meditating on meditation enlightenment. This leaf has a very long sharp point. Figure 7, do not know Haha tour guide also do not know Figure 8, Triangle plum Figure 9, Dendrobium a medicinal herb (growing on a tree)

The 18 bends of Suthep Mountain are really worthy of their reputation. We rode up there on our motorcycles and it was a great experience. The temperature on the mountain is lower. We went there in that weather, so it was not a big deal. It was comfortable. We walked up the 309 steps to Doi Suthep Temple and were out of breath. We had to take off our shoes before entering the main hall. The hall overlooked Chiang Mai. Unfortunately, it was foggy. The prices of the coffee shops on Doi Suthep Temple were the same as those in Chiang Mai, not as high as those in domestic attractions.