Wat Umong
Encyclopedia
Wat Umong is a 700 year old Buddhist temple in Chiang Mai
, Thailand
. It is located against the mountains of Doi Suthep
and is south of Chiang Mai University
.
Wat Umong is unique in that the resident monks live in a very natural setting, and occasionally feed the deer that live in the area. There are tunnels with Buddhist images below the chedi which can be easily explored.These tunnels were supposedly built by the King and painted with bush scenes so they could keep a famous but mentally deranged monk within the grounds of the monastery as he had a habit of just wandering off into the bush for days on end. Signs (proverbs) written in English and Thai hang from the trees on footpaths leading to the small lake where fish and turtles can be fed.
Of particular interest is an intact Ashoka Pillar similar to the one at Sarnath Museum
which has since been adopted as the National Emblem of India.
Note: There is a temple with a similar name within the old city moat of Chiang Mai, whose complete name is "Wat Umong Maha Thera Chan".
Chiang Mai
Chiang Mai sometimes written as "Chiengmai" or "Chiangmai", is the largest and most culturally significant city in northern Thailand. It is the capital of Chiang Mai Province , a former capital of the Kingdom of Lanna and was the tributary Kingdom of Chiang Mai from 1774 until 1939. It is...
, Thailand
Thailand
Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...
. It is located against the mountains of Doi Suthep
Doi Suthep
Doi Suthep , is a mountain located in Chiang Mai Province, Thailand.-Description: Doi Suthep is one of the twin peaks of a granite mountain located west of Chiang Mai, the other peak is known as Doi Pui and is slightly taller .Doi Suthep is located 15 km away from Chiang Mai city centre.Most...
and is south of Chiang Mai University
Chiang Mai University
Chiang Mai University is a public research university in northern Thailand founded in 1964 with a strong emphasis on engineering, science, and agriculture. Its instructional mission includes undergraduate, graduate, professional and continuing education offered through resident instruction...
.
Wat Umong is unique in that the resident monks live in a very natural setting, and occasionally feed the deer that live in the area. There are tunnels with Buddhist images below the chedi which can be easily explored.These tunnels were supposedly built by the King and painted with bush scenes so they could keep a famous but mentally deranged monk within the grounds of the monastery as he had a habit of just wandering off into the bush for days on end. Signs (proverbs) written in English and Thai hang from the trees on footpaths leading to the small lake where fish and turtles can be fed.
Of particular interest is an intact Ashoka Pillar similar to the one at Sarnath Museum
Sarnath Museum
Museum at Sarnath is museum that houses the findings and excavations at Sarnath, by the Archaeological Survey of India, close to archaeological site.-Overview:...
which has since been adopted as the National Emblem of India.
Note: There is a temple with a similar name within the old city moat of Chiang Mai, whose complete name is "Wat Umong Maha Thera Chan".