Fodor's Expert Review Wat Ku Tao
Beyond the Old City
In the heart of Chiang Mai’s Shan Burmese community, this rarely visited temple was built in 1613 to inter the remains of Tharawadi Min, son of King Bayinnaung, who ruled the then-Lanna kingdom from 1578 to 1607. The temple incorporates Burmese design elements and has a distinctive chedi (stupa) made up of five stone spheres, rising largest to smallest. With its bulbous shape, it's been nicknamed “the watermelon stupa” ("tao" is the word for watermelon in Northern Thai dialect). Every spring, the festive Poy Sang Long coming-of-age ceremony takes place here, drawing most of the Shan community.
