Located right next to the morning market is Wat Hua Wiang, a temple built in 1863. Constructed in the Shan and Burmese styles, it is the second oldest temple in Mae Hong Son province. Its viharn is an impressive wooden structure with a roof whose edges are decorated with metal motifs. Wat Hua Wiang is particularly famous for its beautiful bronze Buddha statue. The highly revered Phra Chao Phala Lakhaeng was cast in Mandalay, Burma, in 1930 before being transported here in nine pieces and assembled in 1937. The statue is a replica of Phra Mahamuni in Mandalay. Besides the building housing the bronze Buddha, the temple complex consists of two other buildings and a white and gold chedi.

The temple is somewhat hidden and can be reached via a small alley off Singhanat Bamrung Road. Alternatively, it can also be reached via the road adjacent to the runway of Mae Hong Son Airport.

Wat Hua Wiang is a temple, and when visiting a temple in Thailand there are some rules to follow: appropriate clothing (knees and shoulders should be covered), take off your shoes when entering the building, be quiet, do not hug or kiss, do not point your feet at the Buddha statue, do not smoke.

How to get there

How do you get to Wat Hua Wiang? The temple is somewhat hidden and can be reached via a small alley off Singhanat Bamrung Road. Alternatively, you can take the road that runs alongside the runway of Mae Hong Son Airport.