There is no lack of large, beautiful or spectacular temples in Chiang Mai, but Wat Humung has one unique advantage over all of them: it is located in a forest, near a lake and built as a system of tunnels - not a very common thing in temples in the region. In addition, the calmness of nature around and the silence that comes with it give you a very different atmosphere than most of the sites in bustling Chiang Mai will give you.
The tunnels are a central part of the temple and its full name even translates to "Temple of the Tunnels and Dharma Garden of Buddha". Most of these tunnels lead to places suitable for prayer and Buddha figures are scattered there. The tunnels are no longer used for meditation, mainly because of the large number of visitors that hinder the monks from concentrating.
During your visit you will surely see around you monks busy praying or circling one of the stupas in the place clockwise. This is the stupa where parts of the Buddha's body are believed to have been buried.
The story behind the establishment of Wat Omung goes back to the days of King Mengray, in the 13th century, who was the first king of the Lanna Kingdom and the founder of the city of Chiang Mai. He used to consult one of the monks who lived in another temple on the outskirts of the city, but as Chiang Mai grew and became crowded, the location of the temple became central and noisy - so much so that the monk could no longer meditate. In his honor, the king built Wat Omung, in a more remote and calmer location.
Over the years the temple was abandoned and it stood neglected and without any activity. Only in 1948 was it rebuilt, renovated and restored. Unfortunately, not all the tunnels in the place have been successfully restored and a significant part of the art that was once displayed in the place has disappeared. It was relaunched as a center for meditation and Buddhist studies. To this day, monks live there and educational activities take place.
You can come to the meditation center at the entrance to the temple and sign up for one of the classes held there and open to the general public.
Near the lake, not far from the bridge that connects the temple to the island in the center of the lake, you will find a small stall selling fish food. There are quite a few fish in the lake and feeding them is considered a good and important act.
The place is open every day from 5 am to 8 pm. Entrance is free of charge.
