Doi Suthep
Encyclopedia
Doi Suthep is a mountain located in Chiang Mai Province
, Thailand
.
Doi Suthep (1,676 m) 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 (1,685 m).
Doi Suthep is located 15 km away from Chiang Mai
city centre.
Most of the bedrock of the mountain is granite
. The vegetation below c. 1,000 m is mostly deciduous
forest and evergreen above this height.
The Doi Suthep - Doi Pui hill is part of a mountain chain separating Burma from Thailand also known as Loi Lar Mountain Range or Daen Lao Range. This range, the easternmost of the Shan Highland system, separates the Salween watershed from the Mekong
watershed. Other high peaks of the Loi Lar Mountain Range are Doi Luang Chiang Dao (2,175 m), Doi Pui (1,685 m), and Doi Inthanon
, the highest point in Thailand, reaching 2,565 m.
There are spectacular views of Chiang Mai city and its surroundings from the top of this mountain. Hmong
tribal villages are located on the mountain sides.
The Wat Phrathat Doi Suthep
temple is on top of the hill. This Buddhist place of worship dates back to the year 1383 when the first chedi
was built. It is an important pilgrimage spot for the devout and a legend featuring a white elephant
is connecteed to this revered site.
This mountain is part of the Doi Suthep-Pui National Park
. The park was established in 1981 and has an area of 261 km2 that includes the Wat Phrathat Doi Suthep temple as well as Bhubing palace, placed among flower gardens.
Doi Pui, the other peak of the massif, is located close by along a surfaced road as well as through forest paths. Hmong hill tribe people
live in the surrounding area.
Chiang Mai Province
Chiang Mai is the second-largest province of Thailand, located in the north of the country. Neighboring provinces are Chiang Rai, Lampang, Lamphun, Tak, and Mae Hong Son. In the north it borders Shan State of Burma...
, 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...
.
Description
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...
city centre.
Most of the bedrock of the mountain is granite
Granite
Granite is a common and widely occurring type of intrusive, felsic, igneous rock. Granite usually has a medium- to coarse-grained texture. Occasionally some individual crystals are larger than the groundmass, in which case the texture is known as porphyritic. A granitic rock with a porphyritic...
. The vegetation below c. 1,000 m is mostly deciduous
Deciduous
Deciduous means "falling off at maturity" or "tending to fall off", and is typically used in reference to trees or shrubs that lose their leaves seasonally, and to the shedding of other plant structures such as petals after flowering or fruit when ripe...
forest and evergreen above this height.
The Doi Suthep - Doi Pui hill is part of a mountain chain separating Burma from Thailand also known as Loi Lar Mountain Range or Daen Lao Range. This range, the easternmost of the Shan Highland system, separates the Salween watershed from the Mekong
Mekong
The Mekong is a river that runs through China, Burma, Laos, Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam. It is the world's 10th-longest river and the 7th-longest in Asia. Its estimated length is , and it drains an area of , discharging of water annually....
watershed. Other high peaks of the Loi Lar Mountain Range are Doi Luang Chiang Dao (2,175 m), Doi Pui (1,685 m), and Doi Inthanon
Doi Inthanon
Doi Inthanon ) is the highest mountain in Thailand. It is located in Mae Chaem District. The mountain was also known in the past as Doi Luang or Doi Ang Ka, meaning the crow's pond top. Near the mountain's base was a pond where many crows gathered...
, the highest point in Thailand, reaching 2,565 m.
There are spectacular views of Chiang Mai city and its surroundings from the top of this mountain. Hmong
Hmong people
The Hmong , are an Asian ethnic group from the mountainous regions of China, Vietnam, Laos, and Thailand. Hmong are also one of the sub-groups of the Miao ethnicity in southern China...
tribal villages are located on the mountain sides.
The Wat Phrathat Doi Suthep
Wat Phrathat Doi Suthep
Wat Phrathat Doi Suthep is a Theravada Buddhist temple in Chiang Mai Province, Thailand. The temple is often referred to as "Doi Suthep" although this is actually the name of the mountain it is located on. The temple is located 15 km from the city of Chiang Mai and is a sacred site to many Thai...
temple is on top of the hill. This Buddhist place of worship dates back to the year 1383 when the first chedi
Stupa
A stupa is a mound-like structure containing Buddhist relics, typically the remains of Buddha, used by Buddhists as a place of worship....
was built. It is an important pilgrimage spot for the devout and a legend featuring a white elephant
White elephant
A white elephant is an idiom for a valuable but burdensome possession of which its owner cannot dispose and whose cost is out of proportion to its usefulness or worth...
is connecteed to this revered site.
This mountain is part of the Doi Suthep-Pui National Park
Doi Suthep-Pui National Park
Doi Suthep-Pui National Park is located in Chiang Mai Province, in northern Thailand. Established in 1981, it is an IUCN Category II protected area measuring . The mountain Doi Suthep is within the park....
. The park was established in 1981 and has an area of 261 km2 that includes the Wat Phrathat Doi Suthep temple as well as Bhubing palace, placed among flower gardens.
Doi Pui, the other peak of the massif, is located close by along a surfaced road as well as through forest paths. Hmong hill tribe people
Hmong people
The Hmong , are an Asian ethnic group from the mountainous regions of China, Vietnam, Laos, and Thailand. Hmong are also one of the sub-groups of the Miao ethnicity in southern China...
live in the surrounding area.