🌳 【Wat Umong Hiking Guide in Chiang Mai: Secret Words of Awakening at the End of the Tunnel】 📜

#2月好去地方2025

Wumeng Temple is like a fragment of a scroll, with verses everywhere where bricks and tiles have peeled off. When you bend down and crawl out of the last tunnel, the sunlight suddenly falls on your shoulders - it turns out that the ritual of walking out of the darkness only requires an unexpected epiphany. 🕊️

### **Background introduction**
Wat Umong, which means "Tunnel Temple", was built in the 14th century. It is a rare underground Buddhist temple in Chiang Mai. According to legend, it was built by King Lanna for a monk to get rid of his doubts and allow him to meditate away from the hustle and bustle of the world. The intricate tunnels in the temple are like a maze, and the outside is surrounded by century-old trees. The desolateness reveals philosophy, and travelers call it "breathing ruins."

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### **Hiking Guide**
1. **Route Features**: From the entrance, through the meditation lake → underground Buddhist caves → forest pagodas, the circular walk takes about 1 hour.
2. **Must-explore secret spots**: the broken wall engraved with Pali scriptures, the "Question-solving Tree" hung with wish locks, and the leaning pagoda hidden in the forest.
3. **In-depth experience**: Participate in monk debates on weekend afternoons, or follow the signs to walk quietly on the meditation trail.

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### **Transportation Guide**
- **Self-driving/Grab**: About 6 kilometers from the ancient city, 15 minutes by car, locate "Wat Umong Suan Phutthatham".
- Songthaew: Take it from Thapae Gate towards Suthep Mountain. The one-way fare is about 80 THB per person.
- **Bicycle**: Suitable for those with good physical strength. You will pass through farmland and small villages along the way, so you need to wear sunscreen and drink water.

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### **Tips**
⚠️ There is no lighting in the tunnel, so it is recommended to bring your own flashlight or keep your phone charged.
⚠️ Avoid going there at noon as the tunnel is as hot as a steamer. The best time to go there is in the early morning or at dusk.
🍚 You can bring rice to feed the fish released into the temple, but do not feed them bread as it will damage the ecology.
📵 Please keep your voice down. Photography and noise are prohibited in the monks' retreat area.

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### **Photography check-in spots**
1. **Tunnel entrance**: Shoot the silhouette against the light to highlight the mysterious feeling of the arch and vines intertwined.
2. **Solving the puzzle of tree hole**: Frame the pagoda through the tree hole to create a composition of "seeing the sky from the hole".
3. **Reflections in the Lake**: Stand by the lake after the rain and take photos of the reflections. The dead branches and pagodas together create an ink painting atmosphere.
📸 Increase the contrast to highlight the texture of moss and red bricks, and the black and white filter makes it look more vicissitudes.

#Thailand #Chiang Mai