located on Ratchaphakhinai Road, this is Chiang Mai's oldest temple and probably dates from 1296. The temple was the residence of King Mengrai, who founded Chiang Mai, and is noteworthy for a chedi supported by rows of elephantine buttresses. The temple houses two sacred ancient Buddha images. The larger of the two, Phra Sila (or stone Buddha) is a stone bas-relief which was imported from either India or Sri Lanka around 2,500 years ago. The smaller, Phra Sae Tang Kamani (or crystal Buddha) with a height of only around 10 cm and is thought to have originally come from Lopburi around 1,800 years ago. The stupa in this temple imitates the stupa at Si Satchanalai. Several small buildings dot the temple compound, and behind the main Ubosot is a chedi. The base of the chedi is lined with elephants crafted out of plaster. All the other buildings are finely decorated in the Northern style, with red lacquer, gold leaf and many-coloured mirrors. Of special interest is the roof and stairs of the Viharn which houses the sacred Buddha images. The stair banisters are colorful naga dragons typical of the North. The roof gable-ends also forms beautiful nagas using coloured glass and mirror tiles. While looking at the images, you might try to figure out the system of pipes, a pump and a basin at the back of the alter. It looks like the glass case for the images can be filled with water, or perhaps they just give them a shower once in a while?
The windows of the main Ubosot are also worth a close look. The frames are tiled with coloured mirrors while the shutters for the windows sport gold leaf stencil patterns on both sides of the red lacquer panels.