The Rong Meng Temple Museum founded in 1984 by the then the chief monk Pra Ku Sri Pong Govivit, is located in Sun Sai District, in Chiang Mai Province. This area is home to local Thai people and Shan communities who migrated from Myanmar to escape conflicts. Today, the Rong Meng Temple also houses Shan novices from Myanmar studying modern and religious teachings. The museum’s collection includes Buddhist ritual objects such as ancient Buddha images, as well as unusual historical artifacts such as domestic utensils. For example, one of the most significant objects is an arched brick mould (pim pun din gee) made of teakwood over 100 years old, which bricklayers used to build ponds at that time. The wall-painting inside the museum depicts the people’s way of life, fertility and happiness, while the Museum’s collection of objects reflects unique aspects of Lanna culture. Notably, displays include older sacred objects from Myanmar such as Buddha shrines and wooden palm-leaf manuscript containers, which temple donors believed would bring bad luck to them. This paper discusses the role of the museum as it reflects the needs and interests of civil society, yet encourages active participation by its source community. It will explore how the Rong Meng Temple Museum can serve both local and Shan communities and asks, ‘How can a temple museum promote social harmony? What kinds of strategies can the museum employ to encourage feelings of belonging, and knowledge of local history? And what is the Shan communities’ sense of place within this?’