The origins of Wat Phra That Doi Suthep lie in a story that blends history and legend. In the fourteenth century, a monk named Sumanathera claimed to have discovered a sacred relic believed to be part of the Buddha’s shoulder bone. After being presented to rulers in Sukhothai and later in the Lan Na Kingdom, the relic eventually reached King Kue Na of Chiang Mai. Unsure where it should be permanently enshrined, the king placed it on the back of a white elephant and released the animal into the forest. According to tradition, the elephant climbed the mountain, stopped at the summit, trumpeted three times, and then died. Taking this as a sign, the king ordered a temple to be built on that spot, giving rise to what is now Wat Phra That Doi Suthep.