The Panorama Series – Wat Phan On, Chiang Mai, Thailand

Chiang Mai, nestled in the mountainous jungle terrain of northern Thailand, is a city teeming with temples. Tucked into the old city walls is Wat Phan On and its photogenic neighbor, Sareerikkatartsirirak Pagoda. The wat and pagoda lie in the heart of the Sunday Walking Street. The street, Th Ratchadamnoen, bursts to life every Sunday with vendors and food stalls filling the edges while pedestrians pack into the seams, carefully navigating their way through the crowds.

During the market, Wat Phan On swells with food vendors while the picnic tables become packed with hungry scavengers intent on taking a break from the scene just outside on the street. The pagoda is enveloped by bells, while a gong sits enticingly at one end, each waiting their turn to be rung. Like a shimmering and seductive punch bowl at a wedding, the peaceful interior, inviting picnic tables, and enchanting pagoda all beckon you to enter, have a refreshing taste, and become reinvigorated.