Sunday, November 09, 2014

Chiang Rai - Places to Visit [Wat Phra Singh]

Wat Phra Singh, Chiang Rai
Location - 300 meters east of Wat Phra Kaew, situated on the intersection of Singhaclai Road and Tha Luang Road, Chiang Rai.
From the old town you can get there by samlor (a three wheeled rickshaw) or tuk-tuk, or rent a bicycle and drive there yourself.
Opens from 6.00am to 5.00pm
Admission is free
One of the oldest temples, built in 1385.   The original buildings are fine examples of classic religious Lanna architecture, with their low sweeping roofs.  The oldest original structure still standing today in Buddhist temples of Northern Thailand is usually the chedi or pagoda. The gold plated Sinhalese style chedi of the Wat Phra Singh stands behind the viharn. It consists of a square base with small shrines on its sides that contain Buddha images and a spiral shaped top.
One of Thailand’s most highly revered Buddha images was once enshrined in this temple, named the Phra Singh Buddha image is believed to originate from Sri Lanka.
The beautiful viharn [prayer hall] is extensively decorated inside and out. The hall was built in the 1890s but some of the decoration such as the doors are actually quite modern.
Behind the viharn is a plain chedi [pagoda] that has been recently painted completely gold. 
There is a cannon ball tree, which is commonly found in several temples around Chiang Rai. The tree gets its name from the grape-like buds which sprout from the tree's trunk. These round hard buds burst into odd spiky flowers one-by-one and these in turn form large hard fruits the size of a cannonball.
The carved 'tung' flags in front of the chapel as well as the gates feature a sequence of animals from the Thai/Chinese astrological signs.
Click here to see Chiang Rai Trip Itinerary
Click here to see Wat Di Ngam Muang, Chiang Rai
Click here to see Wat Phra Kaew, Chiang Rai

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