Photo Gallery
Wat Phra Sing (Monastery of the Lion Buddha) (built 1345 onward)
Wat Phra Sing was built in the 14th century by King Pha Yu of the Mengrai dynasty to enshrine the remains of his faher, King Kham Fu. It may have been the first monastery to house the Emerald Buddha, a cultural treasure that now resides at the royal palace in Bangkok. Wat Phra Sing currently houses Phra Chao Thong Tip, the most venerated Buddha statue in northern Thailand. Cast in 1477, it is made of an alloy of gold and copper.
Despite the monastery's cultural renown, it almost fell into ruin in the 18th century when Chiang Mai was largely depopulated. It was only during the reign of Chao Kawila in the early 1800s that the monastery began to be repaired, a process that continued during the reign of his successor, Chao Thammalangka, who sponsored the mural paintings now seen in Viharn Lai Kham.
Bibliography:
Images 9-12 and 17-23 copyright 2000 Professor Robert D. Fiala of Concordia University, Nebraska, USA. Remaining images copyright 2008 Timothy M. Ciccone (photographed early March, 2008).
Aasen, Clarence. Architecture of Siam: A Cultural History Interpretation
Oxford University Press, 1998. Kuala Lumpur
Amranand, Ping & Warren, William. Art & Design of Northern Thailand: Lanna Style
Sirivatana Inerprint Public Co., 2000. Bangkok
Cummings, Joe. Lonely Planet: Thailand
Lonely Planet Publications, 1990. Singapore
Freeman, Michael. Lanna: Thailand's Northern Kingdom
River Books, 2001. Thailand
Lassus, Pongkwan (Sukwattana). Architectural Heritage in Thailand
Amarin Printing and Publishing, 2004. Bangkok
Matics, K. I. Introduction to the Thai Temple
White Lotus Co., 1992. Bangkok
Ringis, Rita. Thai Temples and Temple Murals
Oxford University Press, 1990. Kuala Lumpur
Sthapitanonda, Nithi & Mertens, Brian. Architecture of Thailand: A Guide to Traditional and Contemporary Forms
Thames and Hudson, 2005. Singapore
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