Wat Phra That Doi Suthep

This guide to Wat Phra That Doi Suthep in Chiang Mai opens in November 1934, when a monk named Kruba Srivichai, twice arrested by his own church, stood at the foot of the mountain and asked the city for one thing: bring your own shovel. It follows the volunteer effort that answered him, working the slope with hand tools and little else, and the older legend of a white elephant said to have chosen this summit for the temple above. Look for the naga-flanked staircase pilgrims still climb on the way up.