8 Best Sights in Chiang Rai, Northern Thailand

One of Thailand's most astonishing buildings, Wat Rong Khun stands like a glistening sugar-coated wedding cake beside the A-1 Chiang Rai–Bangkok motorway south of Chiang Rai. Popularly called the "White Temple" because of its lustrous exterior, the extraordinary structure was built by internationally renowned Thai artist Chalermchai Kositpipat, assisted by a team of more than 40 young artists, craftsmen, and construction workers, as a Buddhist act of winning merit. The glistening effect comes from thousands of reflective glass mosaics set into the white stucco. In addition to the Buddhas, there are images from contemporary culture, including spaceships and Superman. A songthaew ride to the temple from Chiang Rai costs about B50.

One of Thailand's most unusual architectural and artistic displays, the Baan Dam Museum, also known as the Black House, is essentially a vast outdoor art gallery, dominated by macabre and rather sinister imagery. It was conceived by celebrated national artist Thawan Duchanee over the course of 36 years and includes the work of a number of other artists. The sprawling compound has multiple buildings and artworks spread over the grounds, including monumental wood carvings, black thrones made of buffalo horns, and the artists’ likeness transformed into Buddhist imagery. It's creepy and fascinating and is a stark contrast to the nearby White Temple.

The cultures, ways of life, and crafts of the many hill tribe people that populate the Chiang Rai region are explained with extensive displays at this exemplary museum in the city center. The museum also supports its own travel service, PDA Tour, which organizes visits to hill tribe villages under the motto "We don't support human zoos!"

Lanna history and culture are vividly chronicled at this jewel of a facility on the outskirts of Chiang Rai. The museum, in an attractive complex of historic buildings, displays several centuries' worth of local artifacts, including the throne and coronation robes of a 16th-century Lanna ruler.

The Emerald Buddha---which now sits in Thailand's holiest temple, Wat Phra Kaew in Bangkok---is said to have been discovered when lightning split the chedi housing it, which was at the temple of the same name at the foot of Doi Tong in Chiang Rai. A Chinese millionaire financed a jade replica in 1991, and though it's not the real thing, the statuette is strikingly beautiful.

This 14th-century temple is worth visiting for its viharn, distinguished by some remarkably delicate wood carving and for colorful frescoes depicting the life of Lord Buddha. A sacred Indian bhodhi tree stands in the peaceful temple grounds.

Near the summit of Doi Tong, this temple overlooks the Mae Kok River. The ancient pillar that stands here once symbolized the center of the universe for devout Buddhists. The sunset view is worth the trip.

This visually appealing, blue-toned monastery sits on a 6-acre area where tigers roamed the site of a derelict temple a century ago---hence its name, which translates to "Canal Temple of the Dancing Tigers." Villagers later decided to freshen up the grounds and erected a 6.5 meter-high Buddha statue with gems under its base. The Blue Temple, with sky-blue walls representing the dharma doctrine, is now a monastery as well as an art museum. Despite the psychedelic murals and occasionally purple-lit interiors, a few monks still live and practice here.