Wat Sri Suphan

Wualai Road has been the silversmiths' quarter of Chiang Mai since the eighteenth century, when silverworking families were settled here, and Wat Sri Suphan is the neighbourhood temple. Its ubosot was rebuilt from 2004 onward by local artisans who covered it entirely in embossed and repousse panels of silver, nickel and aluminium - walls, columns, doors, ceiling, inside and out - depicting Buddhist scenes, Lanna motifs, the zodiac and, in places, contemporary subject matter. It is a genuine display of a living craft rather than a decorative gimmick, and silversmithing classes are run at the temple. The complication is that the ubosot is closed to women: it is a consecrated ordination hall under traditional monastic rule, signs at the door state this plainly, and it is enforced. Women can see the exterior and the rest of the compound. The Wualai Saturday walking street runs past the entrance.

What to look for

• The silver ubosot - embossed panels covering the hall inside and out.
• The living craft - work by Wualai silversmiths, with classes run on site.
• The Wualai quarter - the silversmithing district around the temple.
• The Saturday walking street - the weekly market along the road outside.

When to go

November to February. Saturday evening brings the Wualai walking street past the door. Evenings light the silver hall attractively. An hour covers it.

What to expect

Women are not permitted inside the ordination hall - this is stated at the door and enforced, and it is the main thing to know before going. Small charge. Much of the silver is aluminium and nickel rather than solid silver.

Nearby

The Wualai walking street runs past on Saturdays; Chiang Mai old city is north.

Key facts