High speed Temple visiting - 28 temples in 4 hours

The Sunday Chiang Mai bicycle club gets a historical tour from Professor/Ajan Somchote at Chiang Mai University. I try never to miss this tour because he is passionate about Chiang Mai history and shows us places we might never see either because we don't notice it or it is in a back yard of a resident that is not usually accessible.  He is in the process of publishing a book of 60 rides in Chiang Mai so we went on two of his routes that day.

First we went to 13 temples in the Wat Chedi Luang Cluster. Those 13 temples all depended on Chedi Luang for ordinations.  Wat Chedi Luang is the central temple of the city and also holds the city pillar.  There is also a very, and I mean VERY, tall tree that in the old days before GPS or even signs was how travelers "spotted" the city.

City Pillar 

City Tree

Here is the map of the 13 temples we visited. Not all the temples are complete or even exist (parking lots where they once stood) but most can be visited.

Wat Chedi Luang giant but damaged chedi

Library ​วัดหอธรรม

Sunday Bike Group at Wat Chedi Luang

Wat Phaantao next to Wat Chedi Luang beautiful door

Wat Thung Yung

I'm going to finish this portion and work on chapter 2 soon
tom