Wua Lai: A Day Among Silversmiths
Wua Lai has been the silver quarter for as long as Chiang Mai has had one. The families here came from Salween-side towns generations ago and hammered bowls and reliefs for the court; a handful of workshops still do it by hand, and the sound of it carries out into the lane. It is the most concentrated craft district in the city and the easiest to see in an afternoon.
An in-city day, written to be done on two wheels. Inside the moat a small scooter is faster, cheaper and far easier to park than a car, and several of these lanes are closed to cars anyway. There are no distances here on purpose: you park once and walk.
The day
- 1🚲 5 min
- 2
Wat Sri Suphan (The Silver Temple)
An ordination hall clad entirely in silver and aluminium repoussé, made by the neighbourhood's own smiths over years. The hall's interior is closed to women by monastic rule, which is worth knowing before you arrive; the exterior and the grounds are open to everyone and are most of the work anyway.
1 hr · entry feeTourism Directory →Ministry of Tourism & Sports · Ministry of Tourism & Sports, Thailand 🚲 3 min - 3
Wua Lai Road workshops
Walk the lane. Several shops still work metal at the bench behind the counter, and most will let you watch. Buy from the workshops rather than the display cases if you want something made here.
2 hrs · free
Wikimedia Commons →Stand-in photo: silverwork by the Wua Lai smiths, at Wat Sri Suphan · Immanuelle · CC BY 4.0 🚲 10 min - 4
Old Chiangmai Cultural Center
A khantoke dinner: northern dishes served on a low round tray, with Lanna and hill-community dance. Unashamedly a show, and a good one in the cold season when eating outdoors under blankets makes sense.
evening · set price
Wikimedia Commons →Stand-in photo: a khantoke show at Khum Khantoke, the other venue in town · whyyan · CC BY 2.0
Also on this day
🕐 Saturday Walking Street runs the length of Wua Lai Road on Saturday evenings. If you can align the day, do — the same lane you walked at noon becomes a mile of stalls after dark.
Getting around
Park at Wat Sri Suphan and walk the lane; it is narrow, one-way in places, and pleasant on foot. On Saturday evenings the road closes to all vehicles from late afternoon, so leave the bike outside the closure and walk in.
