Doi Suthep, Chiang Mai

Yesterday our class visited Doi Suthep, a large mountain in Chiang Mai which has a famous wat (temple) at the top.

Heading up the mountain (there's Ken in front of us).

There are 3 objects often involved in making an offering: 1. Two candles, which represent the teachings of the Buddha (both what to do, and what not to do).  2. Three incense sticks, representing the 3 qualities of Buddha: purified, wise, and full of loving kindness.  3. One lotus flower, representing well-practised monks that show that no matter who you are, you can become a spiritually beautiful person.

These bells surround the wat and anyone can ring them (such as Erin and Anna).  They can be very popular for children, or children at heart.

Here is a man creating a statue of a famous monk.  You can see the drawing of the monk in the background.

A view of Chiang Mai from the top of the mountain.

A mythical creature, taken from Hinduism, which connects water and sky because of its physical features.

The large pagoda represents the residence of Buddha.

We saw many Buddha images, each of which represent the image of Buddha according to certain group of people.  The first Buddha image was not constructed until 500 to 700 years after the death of Buddha.  This original image was constructed by Greeks, and then later went from India to Burma to Lanna to Sukhothai (Thailand).

Heading back down the snake-lined stairway to the bottom of the hill.