Wat Phumin

Famous for its murals

What we say:

Founded in 1696, this is regarded as one of the most important wats in Nan province and, of all the wats in Nan town, we'd say this is the one must-see.

There are three notable features here. The temple's murals (in the midst of a renovation during our last visit) are considered to be the finest example of Lanna-style murals and are well worth a look. Some parts are badly damaged and faded, but other sections, especially those higher up, are in good condition.

The murals depict a range of scenes from everyday life -- note the wraparound skirts on many of the women, which are still worn today -- through to the esoteric, of which one man fishing with the body of another is a fine example.

Secondly the central image, an elevated, four-face Buddha, is housed in a four-facing ordination hall. According to a signboard on site this is the only wat of this kind in Thailand.

Lastly, towards the rear of the temple enclosure, is a small Buddhist hell diorama, similar to that at Wat Sri Khom Kham in Phayao, which is worth a quick look.

Adjoining the wat grounds to the north is Khuang Muang, an open-air area home to a massive river racing boat.

More details

Pha Wang Rd
How to get there: Wat Phumin is centrally located, just to the south of the Nan National Museum and opposite the tourist office.

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Read 1 opinions from Travelfish readers

Beautiful !!!

18th December, 2012

I'm not a Wat lover at all but this one is really amazing... is well maintained and the paintings inside are so beautiful !... i like it most that the ''most beautiful temple'' in Luang Prabang.

The painting in the Wat in Nong Bua, near to Nan, are not so clear and the Wat is not so impressive.

Wat Phumin reviewed by fernandia (1)
Written on 18th December, 2012, rated 5 out of 5. Visited here in December, 2012

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