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The Wat Phra Singh is one of the most attractive temples of Chiang Mai and a classic example of Lanna architecture.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.The temple grounds contain a number of classic Lanna style buildings. 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. 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.During Songkran festival in April when traditional Asian new year is celebrated the Phra Singh image is carried through the streets of Chiang Mai during which local people can honor the image by sprinkling water over it.The largest building in the wat is the Viharn Luang. The original viharn was built towards the end of the 14th century, but was replaced by the current building in 1925. This impressive viharn houses a very highly revered Buddha image named Phra Chao Thong Tip. This gold and copper image of a seated Buddha displaying the subduing Mara mudra was cast in 1477.The wooden ubosot was built in 1806. The ubosot or bot of the Wat Phra Singh is where monks get ordained.
