Wat Santikhiri Yansang Wararam, Buddhist temple on Doi Mae Salong mountain, Thailand
Wat Santikhiri Yansang Wararam is a Buddhist temple perched on Doi Mae Salong with a golden chedi, prayer halls, and buildings that blend Thai and Chinese design. The compound spreads across the slope with shrines, Buddha statues, and decorated structures that follow the mountain's contours.
Former Kuomintang soldiers from Yunnan built this temple after settling in Mae Salong in the late 1940s when they left China. They established it as a place to preserve their traditions and create a spiritual center for their new community.
The temple displays Chinese Buddhist practices through burning incense, altar offerings, and celebrations that mark the calendar year. These traditions shape how visitors experience the sacred space and reflect the community that built it generations ago.
Visitors can reach the temple by climbing a long staircase from the market or driving up a paved road that works for cars and motorcycles. Early mornings or late afternoons offer more comfortable conditions for exploring the grounds and taking in the views.
On clear days, visitors standing on the temple stairs can see across the border into Myanmar and Laos from this mountaintop location. The surrounding hills are covered with tea plantations that define the agricultural rhythm of daily life for people living in the area.
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