Wat Phrathat Doi Yuak

Wat Phrathat Doi Yuak is a hilltop temple about 2 kilometres from Pong town in Phayao province, built around a gold-coloured chedi said to enshrine Buddha relics — including a hair relic and an eye-bone relic, among the more significant relic deposits in this part of the province. Entry is free and the temple is open daily from 08:00 to 16:00.

Local tradition holds that the Buddha once travelled to this hill, then called Doi Phu Toem, where a naga was guarding the site; the Buddha gave the naga a hair relic as a token, and the hill became sacred ground. Two separate temples originally stood nearby — an upper temple on the hilltop, where the important relic was kept, and a lower temple that had fallen into disrepair. A travelling monk from Nan province, inspecting religious sites in the area, found the upper temple neglected despite holding the more significant relic and ordered the two merged into a single temple, giving it the name Wat Phrathat Doi Yuak. The chedi itself is built in a style distinct to Phayao, with niches on all four sides holding Buddha images, coloured glass inlay around the bell-shaped base, and a gilded, umbrella-shaped spire at the top, flanked by four smaller corner chedis.

Insider Tip: This is a small, single-chedi site rather than a sprawling complex — budget 20 to 30 minutes, and combine it with a stop at Kwan Phayao if you’re making the drive out from town.

The chedi sits on a rise, so there are views over the surrounding Pong valley, but this isn’t a strenuous climb — a short walk up from where you park covers it. Dress modestly with covered shoulders and knees, and remove your shoes before entering any of the shrine buildings.

Watch out: Pong district is remote relative to Phayao town — allow the better part of an hour each way if you’re combining this with sights around Phayao city, and check fuel before setting out since services thin out on the way.

Getting here means driving out from Pong, on a hillside road that’s sealed but narrow in places — a car or motorbike both work, but take the bends slowly. If you’re already in Phayao province, Kwan Phayao (Phayao Lake) makes a natural second stop on the same trip, giving you both the province’s best-known natural landmark and one of its more overlooked hilltop temples in a single day.