Doi Jikjong, Khongkham, the mountain of faith in Pan City, Changwat
Why is it called “Mountain of Faith”? It may be because it is interesting and something more than just hiking. When we reach the top of the mountain, there are sacred things for us to worship, to hold on to, and to walk up to pay homage. Plus, we get to hike and get full of merit.
What kind of mountain is this? The name sounds unfamiliar to me. This mountain has a peak that looks like an umbrella. The word “Jong” means umbrella in the northern dialect. There is a Buddha statue on the mountaintop, a Lanna deity, and an ancient chedi that is respected by the people of Mueang Pan. This is the origin of the word “Jik Jong Khong Kham”. It is a high mountain in Mueang Pan District, only 60 kilometers from Lampang City. It is located in the area of Chae Son National Park, but the park allows Wat Thung San to use and take care of it. It is approximately 1,6xx meters above sea level. Every year, there is a tradition of bathing the Jik Jong chedi. During May-June, monks and devotees walk up to pay homage to the chedi. And help bring necessities, food and facilities to offer to the monks who will be living up there for about 2 weeks.
The distance is only 5 kilometers (but the monk said 7 kilometers) which is very steep. Even though this place is not famous for anything, but in terms of steepness, I must say it is second to none. The walking path is easy, the path is clear, it is a motorcycle path (but in the rainy season, cars cannot go up). There is definitely no going down because there is only one way up and you cannot see the destination. That's it. It took about 5-6 hours to walk. It was really tiring because the weather was hot and humid. Walking 10 steps and stopping was good enough.
I don't know how much I walked. I passed the curve, cut off the path on foot, stopped to sleep, but I still didn't reach it. I kept walking until I saw the tip of something white. Hey!! What is that? Is that a chedi? There was a pavilion. I was so happy at that time because I didn't do any research on this mountain. I only looked at the driving distance. I didn't check the walking distance, drinking water, altitude or weather conditions. But my happiness was mixed with sadness because this was only half way. Huh!! An exclamation mixed with a face that couldn't take it anymore. Only half way? And what was that all day long walk? Who can answer me!!!!! I was going to set up camp here, but let’s do it. It might be a bit slow, but I never look back.
A walking stick has become a necessity for this mountain. Bamboo on the side of the road is what I’m looking for. Because if I don’t have a stick, I’ll definitely fail. Walking on rocks that I can step on at any time. Looking ahead is a 90-degree cliff. I can’t see the top even if I crane my neck all the way. Finally, we reached the top. Then what happened? There was another fork in the road. The left is steep but the path is clear. The right is flat and small. But we chose to… stop walking and unpack our backpacks. LOL. Let me take a break.
The left is the right path. Keep walking and you will see various Buddha statues and deities along the left and right paths until you reach the pavilion at the top that has everything. And then there is drinking water, tables, chairs, tents, hammocks, and flysheets. Why did we carry them up!! To let you know that you don’t need to bring these things? In the end, we slept in the pavilion. It can block the wind very well. Let me tell you, the evening light here is really beautiful. The view of the mountains and the golden light is awesome. Watching the sunset on the cliff by the pagoda is the highlight of this place.
**Additional information**
✅ On top of the rainwater tank
✅ There are 2 pavilions to protect from the sun and wind
✅ There is a signal for all networks
✅ 360-degree view
“Doi Jik Jong Khong Kham has its own charm that cannot be found in famous mountains or mountains with good reputations. It may be because of the faith in our hearts, more than the desire to conquer the mountain peak.”
*If you are interested, you can ask for a trip.
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