Place of worship
Wat Buppharam
143 Tha Phae Road, Tambon Chang Moi, Amphoe Mueang Chiang Mai, Chang Wat Chiang Mai 50300
Lanna temple with a golden Burmese chedi, a giant teak Buddha, and a whimsical Donald Duck statue.
This guide to Wat Buppharam in Chiang Mai starts with an odd detail: a life-size Donald Duck statue standing among the temple's carved lions and elephant-headed guardians, with no explanation offered. It traces the temple back to King Mueang Kaeo's founding in 1497, the ceremonial walk Lanna prince Kawila is said to have begun from here after reclaiming the city from Burmese rule, and the four-hundred-year-old chedi rebuilt in 1958. You'll also hear about the teak Buddha inside the newer hall, and never quite why the duck is there.
Audio guides are written and narrated by AI.