Wat Lok Molee is an attractive and often overlooked little temple that's recently received a facelift, and while not being one of Chiang Mai's most well known temples is well worth including on any temple tour of the downtown area.

Wat Lok Molee main worshipping hall.

If we grade wats by the number of photos we take in them, then Wat Lok Molee is at least a 30 -- pretty good by our standards -- not so much for the main viharn, pictured above, which is a fairly classic design, but for some of the oddities and curios we came across scattered around the small, interestingly cluttered grounds.

When visiting any of the city's temples (or anywhere else for that matter), it's always worth poking around in the corners or peeking behind things since that's where you often find the most interesting bits. (During our 30-minute visit we saw several foreign tourists whiz into the carpark, take a couple of shots of the main building, check out the principal Buddha and then shoot off five minutes later.)

For reference, here is the principal Buddha image in the spacious yet low-key, and pleasingly un-kitsch for a change, viharn.

Seated, gold Buddha.

Some interesting mosaics and reliefs adorn the hall's walls -- no gaudy murals in this one -- showing the eight different Buddha positions of the week. The one below is Wednesday morning (the Buddhist calender has six days plus two Wednesdays, morning and night).

Wednesday morning Buddha.

More intriguing still were the eclectic range of subsidiary statues and images to be found in various corners of the garden such as the Brahma below. (Well, it's officially Brahma but manages to combine aspects of Shiva -- the third eye -- as well as holding attributes more commonly associated with Vishnu.)

Brahma in the garden.

And continuing the Hindu theme we also came across this fun Ganesha shrine in another corner.

The Ganesha shrine.

Also fairly unusual, and we reckon pretty striking, was the shrine housing a sort of fusion image of the traditional Chinese goddess Guanyin or Kuan Yin with Lokesvara-type multi arms.

The goddess Guanyin, a bit of a handful?

In fact though she is not normally depicted in this way she is often considered to be the female incarnation of the Bodhisattva Lokesvara or Avolokesvara, so that kind of makes sense.

Lokesvara, Banteay Chmar, Cambodia.

The temple is thought to date to the 14th century though its origins are somewhat obscure. The viharn, which as we mentioned saw a major overhaul in recent times, and the large brick stupa were constructed in the early part of the 16th century by the Lanna king of the time, Phra Muang Kaew, and indeed the stupa now houses the ashes of both himself and his wife.

Viharn roof with chedi in background.

The above shows the upper part of the chedi while below is one of the Chinese-style guardian ceramic lions.

Somewhere inside lie the king's ashes.

If you get bored looking at the religious buildings and images then alternative offerings include wooden elephant statues ...

Odd, not very religious looking, wooden elephant.

... or a random old Mercedes displayed next to the monk's quarters.

Monk-mobile?

Perhaps of more interest is the aluminium workshop at the rear of the temple, next to the massage area, where craftsmen painstakingly hammer away at slabs of metal for weeks on end. A craftsman informed me that the upright relief seen partially at the rear left took him a year to finish. The piece he was working on in the photo is for a new door to the main viharn.

Fascinating stuff.

As we mentioned there is a massage area where you can be pummelled, or try the rather good and cheap coffee shop ...

Iced mocha -- 40 baht.

... or watch the birdlife?

Red-whiskered bulbul.

Wat Lok Molee is located on the north side of the moat road (exterior), down from the Chang Puak night market and close to Computer Plaza.

Tags: Brahma, Guanlin, Lanna, Lokesvara, Shiva, Wat Lok Molee

Doi means mountain in the northern Thai dialect (see our earlier geographical names post), so Doi Suthep of course means Suthep Mountain. Doi Suthep's most famous feature is its temple, Wat Doi Suthep, and is part of Doi Suthep-Pui National Park. Finally, Suthep is the name of the western district of Chiang Mai city abutting said mountain and home to CMU, Chiang Mai Zoo and the fashionable Nimmanhemin Road area.

Suthep seen from Huay Tung Tao.

We'll come to Suthep district in our Chiang Mai area by area posts, and the national park is a wide subject, so for this post we'll stick to the mountain itself. At around 1,600m in height, and being within walking distance of downtown, Suthep certainly towers over the city and though we would like to say it's clearly visible from wherever you are in Chiang Mai you'd better read our last post first!

Also usually clearly visible -- even at night as it's lit up -- is the temple just below the summit: Wat Doi Suthep or to give it its full name, Wat Phra Boromathat Doi Suthep Worawihan. Now if you hear people repeating the local saying that, "You haven't visited Chiang Mai unless you've visited Doi Suthep," they really mean unless you've gone up the mountain and had your photo taken in the temple with a view of the city in the background.

Chiang Mai city seen from Doi Suthep.

The temple is thought to date from the 14th century and is considered one of the most sacred sites in the region. It's certainly both an elaborate affair and spectacularly situated, as well as being hugely popular with local tourists. (You can find a good selection of photos of the temple at this link.)

From Chiang Mai Zoo at the foot of the mountain and at the end of Huay Kaew Road, a good road winds its way up Doi Suthep for 15 kilometres before reaching the car park and cafe area at the temple entrance. From here there's either 309 steps or a 30 baht tram fare to negotiate before you reach the temple proper. The road gets very steep so if you're going up there on a motorbike please take care!

Forest on the road up Doi Suthep.

On the way up Doi Suthep the road passes through dry dipterocarp, mixed deciduous and montane forest, emerging into pine once you reach Doi Pui, so it covers a wide range of flora and fauna and is particularly reputed for bird-life. There are also numerous viewpoints and several waterfalls, some more spectacular than others and all more picturesque during the rainy season. We've already posted a couple of waterfall hikes on Doi Suthep which you can find here.

Jungle trail on Suthep.

Note if you enter the national park headquarters or visit any of the more popular falls you will have to pay the 200 baht park entry fee -- if you just go to the temple you won't. The national park HQ buildings, botanical gardens and royal palace are all located above Wat Doi Suthep as the road continues to wind its way up to Doi Pui. It's all very scenic but again, take care here if you're on a motorbike -- the road gets even steeper and even experienced riders may have problems. Most guesthouses and travel agents can organise inexpensive tours to Doi Suthep and Doi Pui.

Tags: Chiang Mai zoo, Doi Pui, Doi Suthep-Pui National park, Nimmanhemin, Suthep

Wat Chedi Luang rivals Wat Phra Singh for the title of Chiang Mai's most important and prestigious city temple. Though it comes a definite second for local visitors, the two temples are probably neck and neck in terms of foreigners, though for sheer size Wat Chedi Luang has no competition.

Part of the viharn.

The partially ruined chedi is huge and must have been huger before invaders and earthquakes took their toll, while the main viharn remains big we couldn't get it all in a photo (at least, without a wide-angle lens). It must be said though that the temple grounds are not as spacious as Wat Phra Singh's so as well as it being tricky to get an overall view it does lacks the latter's pleasant garden surrounds.

The chedi with missing summit.

Chedi Luang means "royal chedi" and this was the official temple of the Lanna kings situated as it was adjacent to the former royal palace. The wat was originally constructed in the 14th-15th centuries and has been partially restored more recently though the ruined chedi wasn't reconstructed since apparently no-one is sure what it was supposed to look like.

The UNESCO sponsored restoration has been controversial.

The pristine new brick work of the main chamber contrasts oddly with the ramshackle upper section and the new elephant statues frankly border on the tacky but it is an interesting spot overall and if you're ticking off important temples on a tour of Chiang Mai's old city you can't really miss this one out.

Classic Lanna!

Some of the outlying buildings are interesting: see for example the smaller but attractive Lanna-style viharn or the impressive reclining Buddha image on the west side of the chedi.

This reclining Buddha is sporting the winter collection.

There's also a shrine containing the city pillar and, with a throwback to animist times, plenty of small shrines surrounding the complex containing 'guardian spirits'. As with the standard Thai spirit house seen in any garden, or the equivalent Burmese nats or Khmer neak ta, there's nothing particularly Buddhist about worshipping spirits or house gods that are associated with geographical locations.

Chedi Luang has a popular monk chat as well as a few token touts so, without being too cynical, beware of over-helpful locals.

Young monks heading to the chat room.

Wat Chedi Luang is located next door to Wat Pan Tao and is a short walk from Wat Phra Singh. There is one wat after another down Ratchadamnoen Road but these three are probably the most interesting if you don't wish to visit too many of them. Enjoy!

Tags: Lanna, monk chat, temples, Wat Chedi Luang, Wat Pan Tao, Wat Phra Singh, wats

Maybe I'm a cynical old whatever but... "monk chat club" sounds a little like monk feeding time in Luang Prabang. Not that it's the tourists' fault: the monks seem more than happy to go along with it. Luang Prabang novices have never been so well fed and Wat Chedi Luang donation boxes are brimming. But is this a laudable attempt by an ancient religion to move with the times or merely Buddhism's modern day adherents jumping on the bandwagon of 21st century commercialism?

Ready to chat.

What is a 'monk chat' you may well be wondering? In wats frequented by tourists there are sitting areas set aside where m0nks who can speak some English, and or who would like to improve their English-language skills, make themselves available for informal chats with tourists.

Come to join us....

Obviously highly dependent upon their language skills -- and for that matter the English skills of the visitors since we haven't seen many monks yet who can converse in French or Hebrew -- but the 'chat' or conversation could be about Buddhism, Thailand, Chiang Mai or anything you want really. It could be questions on finer points of Theravada doctrine or just 'my girlfriend doesn't understand me, what should I do'; but if you bear in mind a popular question for Thais for a monk is 'what number should I play in the lottery', it certainly doesn't need to be anything especially profound.

"Hmm... still reckon Spurs deserved a draw though."

Again, these monks may often be novices or young lads and even if you have genuine questions on the finer points of doctrine don't necessarily expect detailed answers, though of course you can still expect an interesting chat about some of the basics: their life, Buddhism and all things Thai.

Don't forget the donations box on the way out. There's the rub: the essential elements of a monk chat are seats, table, monks and donation box. You're not exactly paying for your chat but if you've sat and wasted a few hours of their meditation time would you feel comfortable leaving and ignoring the large and strategically placed box with donation written on it?

"We're off to join the club!"

It seems like half the temples in central Chiang Mai -- certainly those down Ratchadamneon Road -- have areas set aside for monk chats with perhaps Wat Chedi Luang being the most popular. Having strolled around said wat last weekend we hesitated at the monk club since two temple-related questions did spring to mind. First, why are touts, preying on gullible tourists, tolerated in the temple precincts?  And second, if someone has taken the trouble to stick up worthy signs saying 'please don't buy the captive birds it only encourages this cruel practice', do you see the same bird sellers there day in, day out as well?

Thought monks got up early?

Anyway try it out for yourselves if you have an hour to spare and see what you think -- and remember -- donation box is up to you!

Tags: Jesus, Luang Prabang, Spurs, Therevada Buddhism

Wat Pan Tao is not one of Chiang Mai's most famous wats but this small temple with its attractive teak viharn is well worth a peek, and since it's conveniently located right next door to the prestigious Wat Chedi Luang it wouldn't be going far out of your way to drop by.

Chedi and viharn at Wat Pan Tao.

Wat Pan Tao was originally built as an ancillary temple to the royal temple, Chedi Luang, next door. Thus it has a similar late 14th century date to it, making it one of the oldest sites in Chiang Mai town.

Teak walls formerly from the king's palace.

Apparently the current viharn was constructed at the end of the 19th century out of recycled wood from the nearby royal palace. A new king coming to the throne generally preferred to build his own, new palace so predecessors' pads were knocked down, leaving a lot of teak lying around.

We're guessing the monks' quarters and admin building.

The small temple grounds are free of monk chats, massages, coffee shops and souvenir stalls (this isn't one of the city's most prestigious wats), but does have an attractive, albeit tiny garden that the monks have obviously put a lot of work into.

The bells...

There's a famous peacock carving over the main door and a large seated Buddha image in the viharn but what we found most interesting, and photogenic, were some of the temple accessories, so to speak, scattered around the edge of the complex: the attractive old monks' quarters, 200-year-old boddhi tree and array of old bells.

... the boddhi.

Wat Pan Tao is located at the junction of Ratchadamnoen (Sunday Walking Street) and Phrapopklao Roads, immediately to the north of Chedi Luang (see map).

Inside, looking out.

Tags: temples, Wat Chedi Luang, Wat Pan Tao, Wat Phra Singh, wats

It's taken us a while to get around to writing a post on what is really Chiang Mai's most important temple, Wat Phra Singh, and while walking around this afternoon we had the distinct feeling it was possibly actually our first ever visit!? Our office is directly opposite the main entrance -- but then we did live for 12 years in Paris without ever actually going up the Eiffel Tower.

Who's a pretty wat then?

It's easy to become oblivious to things if they're under your nose everyday, even if they are rather big and.... well there are an awful lot of temples in Chiang Mai. This is the big one though -- the main city temple -- the most prestigious and if you're only going to visit one temple in Chiang Mai you may as well make it two and do Wat Chedi Luang and this one.

Northern Thai-style prayer flags.

Wat Phra Singh ticks all the temple boxes really: pretty grounds full of old trees, some old bits, new bits, Lanna-style worshipping halls, a prestigious Buddha image, a reclining Buddha, jade Buddha and gold Buddhas, giant stupa, 'saffron-robed' monks, a 'monk chat', murals, prayer flags and last but not least, sticky rice and ice cream in the car park.

Mind your heads!

The temple complex houses no less than three viharn where Buddha images are housed, a large ordination/prayer hall, (ubosot), a Lanna-style library and a large main stupa or chedi, as well as numerous subsidiary buildings and smaller shrines and chedis set in spacious grounds.

Attractive Lanna Lai Kham Viharn which houses the Phra Singh image.

All in all it's a large complex and certainly a very pleasant and photogenic spot for a stroll.

Detail from stucco work on library wall.

The temple is said to date from the mid-14th century, built by the Lanna king Pha Vu to house his father's ashes -- so the temple is not the city's oldest. Its name and prestige derive largely from a highly venerated Buddha image which according to legend was presented to Chiang Mai by a king of Sri Lanka -- dates vary. Several copies were supposedly made of the image, so no one is now certain as to which is the original. With the sackings of Chiang Mai at various times by the Burmese, as well as Ayutthaya, the one now in Wat Phra Singh is highly unlikely to be the original and images in both the Chiang Mai and Bangkok National museums lay claim to authenticity.

The famous Phra Singh image.

Singh means lion in Thai since the image is supposed to be in a lion style, though for more details on the image itself you could check this link. The viharn is in good condition, having been recently renovated, though the interior murals are badly damaged.

Undamaged section of murals in Viharn Lai Kham.

A smaller viharn behind Lai Kham houses an attractive reclining Buddha image -- see below.

Reclining Buddha

Same Buddha -- different angle.

The main stupa itself is imposing for its size but lacking in decoration and the open-air shrine behind the stupa is a popular spot for local worshippers. The odd pulley contraption (see below on right of photo) is to allow adherents -- or anyone willing to pay the 20 baht -- to gain merit by pouring water over the normally out of reach chedi.

Note pulley contraption on right

The same thing can be seen at Wat Chedi Luang and is possibly a Hindu hangover from the similar pouring of water over the sacred Shiva linga concept.

And they told me it was no smoking.......

Wat Phra Singh is definitely worth a look. It's conveniently placed near the centre of the old town, at the end of Ratchadamnoen Road (the one leading from Tha Pae Gate and home to the Sunday Walking Street market), and so within a stone's throw of most of the other old town famous wats. It is of course an active temple, so there's no entrance fee. Of course, please remember to dress respectfully.

Don't try the monk chat with this one -- he's made of wax!

Tags: Chiang Mai museum, Lanna, National Museum, Ratchadamneon, Tha Pae Gate, Wat Chedi Luang, Wat Phra Singh

The correct name for this historic, attractive and unusual Chiang Mai temple is Wat Potharam Mahavihara, though locals generally use the name Wat Jet (or Chet) Yot, meaning the Temple of Seven Spires for its famous centre piece, a seven-spired chedi, or stupa.

The seventh spire's behind the main stupa -- you'll have to take our word for it!

According to the Thai Fine Arts Department, the wat was originally constructed in 1455 by the Lanna king Tilokkarat for  his most revered monk, a certain Phra Uthamapanya Mahathera, but also importantly as a kind of medieval conference centre for a world Theravada Buddhist reunion that was held in Chiang Mai in 1477. (Good forward planning by Tilokkarat!)

This, the eighth world Tripitaka conference, was being held for the first time in Thailand so was a major prestige coup for the Lanna kingdom and the ruler himself. (Tripitaka is the Buddhist, Pali canon, thus it was a reunion of high profile religious leaders from places including Sri Lanka, Burma, India and the Khmer kingdomto discuss points of Theravada doctrine.) We would have liked to have seen the selection process and can imagine the organisers checking out public transport, participants' accommodation and whether the bathrooms were clean or not.

Decorations on the main chedi.

And some more...

The king also requested the planting of a sacred Boddhi tree which you can still see today  in the temple grounds.

The main chedi is supposed to be a copy of one in India and so it's not a typical Lanna style wat at all, showing, obviously, strong Indian influences as well as Mon ones and even Chinese designs in some of the decoration.

In the extensive temple grounds you'll also find a chedi built by Tilokkarat's son to house his dad's ashes as well as the attractive old ordination hall plus numerous minor chedis and plenty of 15th century ruins too. (Oddly my spell checker keeps giving me Navratilova as an alternative to Tilokkarat but I don't think she had anything to do with Lanna.) The grounds themselves are scenic and filled with flowering plants and mature trees, so it's a picturesque spot indeed.

Chedi containing the king's ashes.

The temple was restored in the late 18th century and you can also see some evidence of more recent restorations and excavations (2002) in the grounds.

The old hall and 15th century chedi.

There's even a coffee shop in the grounds, though we doubt that dates from the Buddhist conference and all in all it's a very interesting temple to visit.

Wat Jet Yot is situated on the super highway -- which allowed the 15th century delegates easy access to the train and bus stations -- just past the Rim Kham intersection on Huay Kaew Road (see map). It's conveniently placed close to the National Museum so you could combine the two, or include it as a stop-off on your way up to Doi Suthep, for example.

Tags: Doi Suthep, Lanna, Mon, National Museum, Navratilova, temples, Tripitaka, Wat Jet Yot

The setting for this post is the tiny and rather hidden away Wat Pansao, a temple that we reckon gets almost zero foreign visitors but is actually well worth a visit if you're wandering or cycling around town. The wat is tucked off the western moat road just below Chiang Mai Ram hospital and Central mall (approximately 300-400m south of the hospital on the same side of the road -- see map).

Who's a pretty temple then?

Wat Pansao has all the elements of a 'worth-visiting temple': a pleasant garden setting, a classic Lanna-style main worshipping hall, a crumbling old brick chedi and a couple of interesting legends. The chedi is actually hollow, which makes it, at least to our amateur eye, perhaps Burmese influenced, seeing as how most Chiang Mai chedis (see earlier earlier post here) aren't and most chedis we saw at, for example, Bagan are.

Brick chedi -- note opening in wall.

Now we have it on good authority (well the katoey who runs the coffee shop next to our office tells us) that if you align yourself correctly with the gap in the chedi wall then the spirit inhabiting the interior -- this is pure animism and nothing to do with Buddhism -- will be able to see you and may be, if you catch it on a good day, inclined to grant a wish that you make while looking at the crack in the bricks.

Ganesh in the garden.

Also in the temple garden was this interesting sculpture, which we assume is a rather Indian looking Ganesha carving since the Hindu elephant god is a frequent feature of local wats (indeed, there's supposed to be a Ganesha museum out past Hang Dong we've been meaning to check out). It's another example of Thais never being ones to let theological details stand in the way of a good bit of mythology. (Note for example the Nandi -- Shiva's bull -- statue in front of Wat Phra Kaew or the Thai Buddhist church's debate over whether David Beckham merited demi-god status or not.)

Classic Lanna-style roof.

The small temple is surrounded by wooden and bamboo stalls, indicating that during certain significant dates in the Buddhist calender the wat becomes very busy with local worshippers, with the additional following legend being no doubt partly a reason.

If we've got this right -- it was a rather convoluted tale and we're not quite sure we got as much a grip on this legend as the previous one -- temple monks will sprinkle water droplets over worshippers. If they've accumulated enough Buddhist Brownie points, they can, if really lucky, then change into the ashes of the dead Indian prince himself -- or, we were informed, one of his close associates such as his secretary. We didn't realise Buddha had a secretary but some of this may well have got lost in translation.

Now depending upon which part of Buddha's body the ashes originate from, they may take the form of a certain coloured crystal or gem stone. One lucky worshipper apparently had water droplets fall into his shirt pocket  and upon returning home discovered that his pocket was full of diamonds.

Wooden 'chedis' containing various coloured stones/ashes.

Samples of said gems (my cynical suggestion that they were bits of coloured glass having been shot down straight away) are found in small wooden cases which, since they are supposed to be ashes, are still technically named chedis by Thais. There's an explanation under each in Thai as to which shrine you should worship depending upon the desired outcome. i.e. good health, long life, successful family and in the case of Sri Wari's ashes (no pun intended) -- that's the secretary -- good typing skills, sorry wealth. (That's probably sacrilegious so we've blown it!)  Confused - so are we!

Firmer ground -- a straightforward temple gong.

If you wish to learn about these unusual local legends then do, as we didn't, take a decent translator with you, otherwise just wander around the small but pretty and interesting site -- and don't forget to make a wish.

Tags: animism, Chiang Mai Ram, Chiang Mai temples, Ganesha, Shiva

Yes two whole blog posts on Lamphun! (Whatever next -- a feature on Phichit!?) Actually one of the best things about Lamphun is getting there -- or away -- with the Old Lamphun Road being one of the most scenic roads in the kingdom. The views aren't anything special but it's the road itself that's attractive, with nearly the whole 25km length being lined by tall gracious yang trees. (Note yang is rubber in Thai, though these clearly aren't rubber trees so we're not quite sure what they are. If anyone can enlighten us please do!)

Scenic tree-lined traffic policeman.

The Old Lamphun Road is a continuation of Chang Klan Road and makes for a great, shady cycle or motorbike ride -- see map here.

Storm brewing over Prathat Haripunchai.

Anyway Lamphun being perhaps slightly too far to go just to check out one single wat -- see our earlier post here -- our clear second favourite  temple in town was Wat Phrathat Haripunchai. It's actually the number one destination in Lamphun for local tourists and is indeed one of the most venerated sites in northern Thailand. As we mentioned before, Haripunchai is the name of the old Mon city on the site of modern Lamphun and the main stupa -- bit of a ringer for a smaller version of Burma's famous Shwedagon -- is thought to date originally from the ninth century. The wat thus shows Mon, Lanna and Burmese architectural influences since the city was ruled by all three at various times.

Main stupa. Put your sunnies on!

It's therefore a busy temple -- Wat Cham Devi's tranquil site being the reason why we voted it first -- with plenty of visitors from Bangkok and day trippers from Nakhon Sawan, Phitsanolok and so on -- so plenty of vendors and indeed a large OTOP (One Tambon One Product, tambon being district) market opposite the entrance by the Ping River.

The Lanna-style library.

While on the subject of selling things in temples, we'd like to point out that the sadly common practice of selling small caged birds for release in the hope that it gets you some kind of Buddhist brownie points is for us totally abhorrent -- and we'd be very grateful if you didn't  buy any. Half the birds die anyway and most others are re-caught. (Some locals claim the birds are addicted to methamphetamines so they automatically fly back for their dose -- not sure if that is true but can't imagine Buddha in any way supporting this scheme!)

Gold leaf covered stupa

Much more attractive is the spectacular gold leaf chedi: the temple's central feature and if you want to find a more eco-friendly way of accumulating Buddhist air-miles then the thing to do is to walk around it three times in a clockwise direction.

Circumnavigating it anti-clockwise could be fatal!

This can be a bit of a circus, especially at weekends, but it's worth a look if you're in town. Entrance fee is 20 baht for foreigners.

I'll guarantee he doesn't approve of cruelty to small birds.

Tags: Wat Haripunchai, yang trees

Well, more accurately what we enjoyed visiting most in Lamphun was Wat Chama Devi (or Thewi). Without meaning to be rude, and while being a pleasant-enough spot, the small, sleepy, provincial town of Lamphun isn't exactly the tourist epicentre of northern Thailand.

Wat Chama Devi.

However in an earlier Mon, Dvaravati period incarnation as Haripunchai it was indeed the most important city of the northern region. Historians don't seem too sure but the city appeared on the map during the late seventh century, but it probably existed as a minor chiefdom even earlier than that, when it was captured by Chama Devi, princess and daughter of the king of Lavo (Lopburi). Under her guidance Haripunchai developed into a major northern outpost of the Dvaravati civilisation of the Chao Phraya valley.

The temple, also known as Wat Kukut, was reputedly built during the reign of Chama Devi's son in the early eighth century and the old Mon-style chedi is said to contain the ashes of the great queen herself.

Eighth century stupa containing the ashes of Queen Chama Devi.

The Lopburi dynasty then continued to reign at Haripunchai, despite attacks from various Angkor kings, until the mid-13th century when it was finally captured by the Lanna king Mengrai after he'd established his new capital at nearby Chiang Mai. Despite being much older than its neighbouring cities of Chiang Mai, Phayao and even Chiang Saen, little remains today apart from some city walls and a moat -- and Wat Chama Devi houses the best examples of Dvaravati period architecture with its two ancient chedis.

Ancient Mon inscription discovered in the temple.

The brick city walls resemble those of Chiang Mai or Chiang Rai, but note the Mon planned irregular shaped towns where defensive walls fitted into the terrain rather than being rigidly geometric, as with Lanna or Khmer cities. Major temples were also often located outside the city walls -- Wat Chama Devi is located a distance to the west of the oval-shaped old city centre constructed along the banks of the Ping River.

Most of the wat consists of recent constructions and indeed there's a brand new museum -- we assume dedicated to the famous Queen -- situated in the grounds which hasn't even opened yet so we can't tell you what's inside.

Worshipper at the wat.

The main viharn building did contain some interesting murals, consisting mainly of historical scenes from the life of Chama Devi rather than the usual life of Buddha ones.

The Queen's soldiers and followers entering the gates of Haripunchai.

Chama Devi leads her army down the Ping River.

Set in pleasant grounds with some lush plant life and even a couple of spectacular drums on display (see below) it made for an interesting diversion that we enjoyed far more than the better known and more prestigious Wat Prathat Haripunchai, the main temple of the central part of town. We also had Wat Chama Devi completely to ourselves, whereas the latter was heaving with local tourists and vendors.

A serious drum!

Suspect some of the monks of being Liverpool supporters!?

While I'm not sure it warrants an overnight stay -- though there are plenty of options if you wish to stay over -- it certainly makes for a good afternoon out. Note Lamphun is only 26 km from Chiang Mai and by bike or motorcycle it's a great trip along the tree-lined Old Lamphun Road. We however paid 600 baht for a taxi/songthaew for the afternoon.

Tags: Angkor, Chiang Rai, Chiang Saen, Dvaravati, Lanna, Lopburi, Mengrai, Mon, Phayao, temples