Wat Prathat Doi Suthep, is perched magnificently atop a hill to the northwest of Chiang Mai. Legend has it that the site for Wat Prathat Doi Suthep was chosen by placing a holy relic on the back of an elephant, which then proceeded to try to climb Doi Suthep hill, and after a time, trumpeted thrice, before falling down dead. In ancient Chiang Mai, this was a sign that the temple should be built on that spot.