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Famous Temples
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The Pillar of the City
The city pillar was re-erected when King Mengrai founded Chiang Mai in 1296. Now located in front of Wat Chedi Luang and enshrined in a small Thai chapel, the pillar is made of teak and kept underground. The Sao Inthakin or city pillar celebration is held annually in May. |
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Wat Chedi Luang
This 14th century temple, where the City Pillar Shrine is located, is famous for its enormous chedi, which is measured at 282 feet high and 144 feet wide (at the base). Located right in the middle of the city, it is considered to be the largest chedi in Chiang Mai. Its spire collapsed in 1545 due to an earthquake. A pair of magnificent Naga staircases at the front porch of the chapel is among the most beautiful manmade serpents in the North. Chao Khun Uba Lee Poramacharn (Sirichantathera) and Chao Kaeo Navarat built the front chapel in 1928.
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Wat Phra Sing
Built in 1345, the temple is located on Sam Lan Road. It houses the North's most revered Buddha statue, Phra Phuttha Sihing which is enshrined in Vihan Lai Kham, a chapel that features exquisite woodcarvings and northern style murals. Every year on April 13, Songkran Day, the image is paraded through the streets of Chiang Mai for local people to sprinkle scented water on. This area was formerly Wat Li Chiang Market until 1345, when King Pa Yu, the fifth king of the Meng Rai Dynasty commanded the construction of this temple and a 24-feet chedi to contain his father's ashes. |
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Wat Chiang Man The oldest temple in Chiang Mai town, Wat Chiang Man was built in 1296 by King Mengrai, the founder of Chiang Mai. The temple is famous for its Lanna-style chedi supported by rows of elephant-shaped buttresses and an ancient and invaluable Buddha image named Phra Kaeo Khao. Wat Chiang Man is situated off of Ratchapakhinai Road in the northeast corner of the old city.
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Wat Suan Dok
Another temple located on Suthep Road, Wat Suan Dok was built in the 14th century and houses the 500-year old bronze Buddha image which is one of Thailands largest metal images. Several of the white chedis around the temple contain ashes of Chiang Mai's former royal family. |
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Wat Jed Yod
is situated on the superhighway off Huay Kaew Road, near the Chiang Mai National Museum. Built in 1455 by King Tilokaraj and was host to the Eighth World Buddhist Council in 1477. Its name means Seven Spires, a description of the chedi's construction. It was coped from the Mahabodhi Temple in Bodhagaya, India, where the Buddha achieved enlightenment. The larger chedi contains the ashes of King Tilokaraj. |
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Wat Phra That Sri Jomtong
This temple is situated approximately 58 kilometers from the town in Chom Thong District. The temple can be dated back to the mid-1400s and houses a collection of bronze Buddha images while the secondary chapel contains a holy Buddha relic.
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