Wat Buak Krok Luang

Wat Buak Krok Luang holds one of Chiang Mai’s least-visited sets of temple murals: 14 panels of late-19th-century paintings covering the interior walls of the viharn, seven bays on each side. Free to enter, open daily 06:00-18:00, it sits in Tha Sala subdistrict, Mueang Chiang Mai district — on the Chiang Mai-San Kamphaeng road, but administratively part of the city rather than San Kamphaeng.

The murals were painted by an immigrant Shan artist, likely working alone given their consistent style across all 14 panels. Alongside standard Jataka tale scenes — episodes from the Buddha’s past lives — the artist filled the walls with slices of 19th-century daily life: women preparing food, men raising a house frame, courting couples, a crowd listening to a sermon, soldiers riding elephants off to war, and mourners at a funeral. Near the entrance, on the right-hand wall, a now-faded panel depicts the torments of hell — a theme most Lanna temple murals skip entirely. The viharn itself dates to the early 19th century and was renovated under Chao Kaew Nawarat, the ninth and last Prince of Chiang Mai, who ruled from 1911 to 1939. Its roof cascades in the multi-tiered Lanna style, with naga serpents at the corners; unusually, the nagas flanking the entrance staircase have bird heads rather than the standard serpent heads, and the thepanom (guardian angels) carved into the wall corners stand on the shoulders of crouching human figures.

Insider Tip: Bring a phone flashlight or small torch — the viharn’s interior is dim and the murals sit high on the walls, so natural light alone makes it hard to pick out details like the hell-torment panel near the entrance.

Watch out: These are the original 19th-century paintings, not restorations, and flash photography accelerates fading — switch your camera flash off before shooting.

Weekday mornings are the quietest time to visit, with resident monks going about their routine and few other visitors around. Dress modestly — covered shoulders and knees — and remove your shoes before entering the viharn. Pair the visit with Wat Ku Tao or the murals at Wat Chedi Luang Varavihara for a half-day temple-mural circuit around Chiang Mai’s Mueang district.