Wat Phra That Doi Suthep is a gorgeously planned Wat with a story to tell about Buddhism. Once the Naga lined steps are surmounted (the longest Naga balustrade in Thailand), the first site one sees is the White elephant statue commemorating the story behind the Wat placement. The closest entrance to the inner ring is to the left, on the North side of the complex. The immediate view is one of the chedi towering 79 feet (24 meters). This gold plated spire is very typical of Northern Thailand chedi with its heightened redented octagonal base, ringed spire, smooth spire, and the tiered chatra (umbrella) at the top. The structure is greatly influenced by Sukhothai art; however, the chatra isn't a Thai influence, but rather an aspect that came from two centuries of Burmese occupation. The tiered and angular shape of the chedi is found all around Thailand is an aspect of Buddhist architecture. The tiers represent the level of heavens that one must ascend in order to achieve Nirvana as well as the hierarchy associated with a monarchy. The angular shape and sloping appearance are more related to the feeling that Thai architects wished to relate. In Threvada Buddhism, the main focus is to rid oneself of unwholesomeness, and to do that there is a focus on peace, lightness, and floating. If the chedi was just its plain shapes of an octagon and triangle, it would appear dense and static. The redented look, near parabolic slope, and golden cover of the chedi creates a feeling of weightlessness of the structure.