Wat Pa Pao

Can you hear them? The faint echoes of Shan chants, carried on the breeze through Wat Pa Pao. Here, in the northeast corner of Chiang Mai’s old city, lies a piece of Shan heritage. Wat Pa Pao wasn’t always here. It began as a dream, a longing for a spiritual home by the Shan community who had travelled from Burma to work in the teak industry. In 1883, their dream materialized. Inthawichayanon, the 7th ruler of Chiang Mai, and his Shan consort, Mom Bualai, along with members of the Shan community, established Wat Pa Pao. The temple stands as a testament to their devotion, its architecture echoing their Burmese-Shan roots. Look closely at the bell-shaped chedi, rising from its triple-tiered base, crowned with a golden spire. At each corner, mythical qilin stand guard, bodies of lions and heads of dragons. Step inside the assembly hall. Let your gaze wander up to the seven-tiered pyatthat roof, a masterpiece of Burmese design. To the west, another hall beckons, crafted mostly of teak. Its multi-tiered zeitawun roof, a riot of red and gold, seems to tell stories of Mount Meru, the mythical mountain at the center of the Buddhist cosmos. Wat Pa Pao isn’t just history frozen in time. It’s alive, vibrant. Each April, it bursts into a riot of color with the Poy Sang Long festival. Young boys, embarking on their journey as novice monks, are adorned in traditional Shan attire, parading through the city in a vibrant celebration of faith and heritage. Wat Pa Pao. A whisper of Shan culture amidst the bustle of Chiang Mai, a reminder that faith and tradition can blossom even in foreign lands.