There are several magnificent and very old temples within the walled old city of Chiang Mai, with the Wat Phra Singh being one of the most attractive.
The temple, which is also known as “The Monastery of the Lion Buddha” or “The temple of the Lion Buddha” is an active temple, with hundreds of monks and novices living there. The Wat Phra Singh houses a number of highly revered and very old Buddha images.
The Wat Phra Singh dates back to the 14th century when Chiang Mai was the capital of the Lanna Kingdom, and is one of the finest examples of classic Lanna style temple architecture in Northern Thailand.
The structures of the Wat Phra Singh
The temple grounds contain a number of classic Lanna style buildings.
Main Chedi
The oldest structure of the wat is the main chedi, that was built in 1345 by King Pha Yu to enshrine the ashes of his father. The chedi is circular in shape with a square base. Each of the sides of the chedi is decorated with elephant figures emerging from the chedi. Since its construction in the 14th century it has been enlarged considerably.
Ho Trai with viharn in background
Viharn Lai Kham
One of the best examples of Lanna style architecture is the Viharn Lai Kham. This viharn or assembly hall was built at the end of the 14th century to house a very highly revered Buddha image named Phra Singh Buddha.
The temple complex was originally named Wat Li Chiang Phra, until 1367 when the Phra Singh Buddha image was brought here and the name was changed to Wat Phra Singh, named after the image. The origin of the Phra Singh Buddha image is not known with certainty, according to local belief the image originates from Sri Lanka. Judging from the style of the image, it is more likely that it was cast in the Chiang Mai area itself. It was believed that the head of the image was stolen in 1922.
Viharn Lai Kham and chedi
Name
Wat Phra Singh
Date
14th century
Location
Ratchadamnoen road
Chiang Mai
Chiang Mai