Phrathat Doi Kwang Kum Temple

Phrathat Doi Kwang Kum Temple sits on a hilltop in Thung Hua Chang district, Lamphun, its name — Golden Deer Mountain — coming from a local legend about Phaya Kwang Kham, a golden bodhisattva deer pursued by two groups of hunters. To save its herd, the deer is said to have deliberately drawn the hunters onto the nearest mountain, sacrificing itself so the rest could escape; that mountain is the hill the temple now stands on. Entry is free and no fixed hours are posted, typical for an active hilltop temple where daylight visits are the norm.

The temple was established under the guidance of Kruba Chaiyawongsa Phatthana, a widely respected 20th-century monk in the northern Thai forest-restoration tradition, whose home base was Wat Phra Phutthabat Huai Tom in Li district — worth knowing if you’re already tracing his lineage of temples around Lamphun. The main viharn houses a Buddha image in the Chakraphat (universal monarch) posture, adorned with gems, a style associated with this monastic tradition.

The site is a genuine working hill temple rather than a polished tourist stop: modest in scale, with the elevated position giving views across the surrounding Thung Hua Chang valleys rather than the manicured gardens or gift-shop trail some larger northern temples have added. That makes it a reasonable stop for anyone tracing Kruba Chaiyawongsa Phatthana’s temples in the district, though it’s not a must-see landmark on its own merits the way Lamphun’s headline sites are.

Insider Tip: Combine the visit with Wat Phra Phutthabat Huai Tom in Li district if you want to see both the founder’s home temple and this hilltop site he helped establish in the same trip.

Watch out: The access road climbs and winds through the hills — drive carefully, especially after rain, and allow extra time from Thung Hua Chang town rather than treating it as a quick roadside stop.

Modest dress covering shoulders and knees is expected, as at any Thai temple, and comfortable footwear helps for the walk between the temple’s different levels.