The story of Wat Phrathat Doi Suthep

Before you climb the 309 steps, along the longest Naga balustrade in Thailand, hear the legend of how this temple came to be. A monk named Sumanathera from the Sukhothai Kingdom had a dream that led him to a relic, which many claim was the Buddha's shoulder bone. In 1368 he brought it north to King Kue Na of Lan Na, and there the relic broke into two pieces.

One piece was placed on the back of a white elephant, which was released into the jungle. The elephant climbed this mountain, stopped, trumpeted three times and dropped dead. Taking this as an omen, the king ordered a temple built on the spot.

The relic rests inside the gold-plated chedi, which towers 24 metres. The temple sits at an elevation of 1,073 metres, 15 kilometres from the city, and from its far side you can look out over Chiang Mai. No wonder it can welcome 120,000 visitors a month.