Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters

Take your next trip with Atlas Obscura!

Our small-group adventures are inspired by our Atlas of the world's most fascinating places, the stories behind them, and the people who bring them to life.

Visit Adventures
Trips Highlight
Central Asia yurt night stars
Uzbekistan • 15 days, 14 nights
Central Asia Road Trip: Backroads & Bazaars
from
Caucasus - Geghard Monastery, Armenia
Armenia • 15 days, 14 nights
Caucasus Road Trip: Azerbaijan, Georgia & Armenia
from
View all trips
Top Destinations
Latest Places
Most Popular Places Random Place Lists Itineraries
Add a Place
Download the App
Top Destinations
View All Destinations »

Countries

  • Australia
  • Canada
  • China
  • France
  • Germany
  • India
  • Italy
  • Japan

Cities

  • Amsterdam
  • Barcelona
  • Beijing
  • Berlin
  • Boston
  • Budapest
  • Chicago
  • London
  • Los Angeles
  • Mexico City
  • Montreal
  • Moscow
  • New Orleans
  • New York City
  • Paris
  • Philadelphia
  • Rome
  • San Francisco
  • Seattle
  • Stockholm
  • Tokyo
  • Toronto
  • Vienna
  • Washington, D.C.
Latest Places
View All Places »
Midas Tümülüsü (Tumulus MM)
The Devil's Column
Weightlifting Hall of Fame
The khao soi at Gedhawa comes with a rich, coconutty broth.
Gedhawa
Latest Places to Eat & Drink
View All Places to Eat »
The khao soi at Gedhawa comes with a rich, coconutty broth.
Gedhawa
At Nai Mong Hoi Thod, the oyster omelet is worth waiting for.
Nai Mong Hoi Thod
In this deceptively simple dish, top-quality ingredients are paramount.
Kor Panich
Customize your bowl with sliced pork, pork balls, fish cake, and offal.
Rung Rueang
Pasties are an Upper Michigan tradition dating back to mining days.
Lehto’s Pasties
Recent Stories
All Stories Video Podcast
Most Recent Stories
View All Stories »
For Aguilar-Carrasco, nature is a powerful reminder of the interconnectedness of all life.
How Can National Parks Be Made Accessible to All? AO Wants to Know.
3 days ago
Podcast: Finding ‘The Great Gatsby’ in Louisville
4 days ago
Here’s which treats you can safely lug home without risking a fine.
Dear Atlas: What International Food Can I Legally Bring Into the U.S.?
5 days ago
Cely’s map is not only accurate, but captures the unique characteristics of Congaree’s trees and waterways.
How One Biologist Drew a Hyper-Accurate, Ranger-Approved Map of Congaree National Park
6 days ago

No search results found for
“”

Make sure words are spelled correctly.

Try searching for a travel destination.

Places near me Random place

Popular Destinations

  • Paris
  • London
  • New York
  • Berlin
  • Rome
  • Los Angeles
Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Sign In Join
Places near me Random place
All Thailand Chiang Mai Wat Umong

Wat Umong

Buddha shrines hide within dark tunnels at this unique forest temple.

Chiang Mai, Thailand

Added By
Brooke Roegge
Email
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list
Wat Umong   MLADEN ANTONOV/AFP via Getty Images
Wat Umong   MLADEN ANTONOV/AFP via Getty Images
  Auxburg / Atlas Obscura User
Buddha statues on the grounds.   typosinkeye / Atlas Obscura User
Buddhist saying and rooster.   typosinkeye / Atlas Obscura User
The fasting Buddha.   typosinkeye / Atlas Obscura User
A tunnel entrance, with chedi in background.   typosinkeye / Atlas Obscura User
One altar in the tunnels.   typosinkeye / Atlas Obscura User
A shrine within one of the tunnels.   Karan Gupta
Chedi.   typosinkeye / Atlas Obscura User
Buddhist sayings.   typosinkeye / Atlas Obscura User
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list

About

In a city full of wats (Buddhist temples), Wat Umong is the most unique and least-visited in Chiang Mai. Tucked away on the western edge of town in the forested mountain foothills, this wat contains a network of centuries-old tunnels still used by Buddhist monks.

Local lore states that the wat was founded in the 13th century by King Mangrai. The king regularly met with a monk in Chiang Mai, who preferred to meditate inside of a tunnel. As the city grew and the monk found it harder to find quiet refuge in his subterranean sanctuary, King Mangrai ordered a system of tunnels be built on the forested edge of town.

Archaeological evidence and written sources conflict with this original legend. Instead, the style of painting within the tunnels as well as the architecture of the stupa above match the period between 1380-1450. This is supported by a written text called the Banha Thera Jan, which tells how King Kuena offered the monk Jan a position at Wat Umong and had the tunnels constructed for him.

Soon, this network of tunnels had sprouted into a fully functioning temple. Wat Umong remained active until the 15th century, when it was mysteriously abandoned. In 1900, the stupa was broken and its relics looted. Reconstruction efforts began in 1948, including repairing the stupa and clearing dirt built up a meter high from the tunnel system. Unfortunately, this also destroyed many of the paintings that lined the tunnel walls.

Today the wat is an active center, used by monks and locals. The tunnel system once again contains various shrines. There’s also a large, somewhat rare statue of the fasting Buddha sitting atop one of the tunnels and hiding among the trees. The forest is dotted with Buddhist sayings nailed to trees and old, decaying statues of the Buddha are scattered about the grounds. Visitors to Wat Umong will also find a pretty lake, a spiritual center, a small museum, and lots of chickens roaming around.

Related Tags

Religion Buddhism Tunnels Temples Sacred Spaces Subterranean Sites

Know Before You Go

The wat is a few miles outside of the old town. You can use a taxi, songathew, tuk tuk, or bicycle to get there. If you pay someone to drive you there, arrange for them to wait while you explore the grounds, as this is not a popular tourist spot and return transportation will not be easy to find. Please dress conservatively and act respectfully, in accordance with local customs, as this is an active wat.

Community Contributors

Added By

typosinkeye

Edited By

PathsUnwritten, Kerry Wolfe, Auxburg, Michelle Cassidy

  • PathsUnwritten
  • Kerry Wolfe
  • Auxburg
  • Michelle Cassidy

Published

April 16, 2018

Edit this listing

Make an Edit
Add Photos
Sources
  • https://www.renown-travel.com/temples/wat-umong.html
  • https://pathsunwritten.com/chiangmai-wat-umong/
Wat Umong
Chiang Mai
Thailand
18.783345, 98.949

Nearby Places

The World Museum of Insects and Natural Wonders

Chiang Mai, Thailand

miles away

Elephant Nature Park

Chiang Mai, Thailand

miles away

Elephant Poo Poo Paper Park

Tambon Mae Raem, Thailand

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Chiang Mai

Chiang Mai

Thailand

Places 3

Nearby Places

The World Museum of Insects and Natural Wonders

Chiang Mai, Thailand

miles away

Elephant Nature Park

Chiang Mai, Thailand

miles away

Elephant Poo Poo Paper Park

Tambon Mae Raem, Thailand

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Chiang Mai

Chiang Mai

Thailand

Places 3

Related Places

  • Mahakal Mandir

    Darjeeling, India

    Mahakal Mandir

    At this unique temple in Darjeeling, Hindu and Buddhist practices co-exist harmoniously.

  • Horyuji Temple

    Ikaruga, Japan

    Hōryū-ji

    Home to the world's oldest wooden building.

  • The face of the Buddha.

    Tokyo, Japan

    Ueno Daibutsu

    Only the face remains of this giant Buddha statue, which is said to be a source of luck for students.

  • Conley, Georgia

    Wat Lao Buddha Phothisaram

    An ornate Buddhist temple located in an Atlanta suburb, built by and for the Laotian community.

  • Fanjingshan (Mount Fanjing).

    Tongren, China

    Fanjingshan (Mount Fanjing)

    Two ancient Buddhist temples crown this dramatic rocky pinnacle.

  • Hacienda Heights, California

    Hsi Lai Temple

    An unexpected and peaceful oasis on a hillside.

  • The temple.

    Nachikatsuura-chō, Japan

    Fudarakusan-ji

    A temple made famous by Japanese Buddhist monks who sacrificed themselves at sea.

  • Buduruwagala, Sri Lanka

    Buduruwagala

    Seven beautiful 1,000-year-old rock-cut Buddhist statues.

Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
Atlas Obscura Membership

Become an Atlas Obscura Member


Join our community of curious explorers.

Become a Member

Get Our Email Newsletter

Follow Us

Facebook YouTube TikTok Instagram Pinterest RSS Feed

Get the app

Download the App
Download on the Apple App Store Get it on Google Play
  • All Places
  • Latest Places
  • Most Popular
  • Places to Eat
  • Random
  • Nearby
  • Add a Place
  • Stories
  • Food & Drink
  • Itineraries
  • Lists
  • Video
  • Podcast
  • Newsletters
  • All Trips
  • Family Trip
  • Food & Drink
  • History & Culture
  • Wildlife & Nature
  • FAQ
  • Membership
  • Feedback & Ideas
  • Community Guidelines
  • Product Blog
  • Unique Gifts
  • Work With Us
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Advertise With Us
  • Advertising Guidelines
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
Atlas Obscura

© 2025 Atlas Obscura. All Rights Reserved.