Located between Ratchawithi Road and Inthawarorot Road opposite the District Court.
During Loy Krathong festival, the compound was filled with hanging lanterns of various colours which were lighted up at night time.
Sitting in the middle of a large courtyard, the Three Kings Monument has a large bronze statue of King Mengrai [the founder of Chiangmai] and his two friends, King Ramkamhaeng of Sukothai and King Ngam Muang of Payao. The three of them worked together in the late 1200's to design and build Chiangmai.
Residents treat the Monument as a shrine for the three men and replicas of it can be found throughout the city. Often, locals are seen giving flowers, incense and candles at the Statue as offering to get blessing from these three revered men. As the tourist the main reason to visit the Monument is to give early morning Alms to the Monks described below.
The large white building behind the statue is the Old Provincial Hall, built in 1924, which today holds the City Art and Culture Center. If you decide to check it out they have you sit through a short video on the history of Chiang Mai before cutting you loose. The 1st floor has a number of displays going over the religion and culture of Northern Thailand while the 2nd floor has rooms that have been converted into an early Lanna village, a Thai temple, and even a train car.
On the South side of the Monument's courtyard is Wat Sadeau Muang, a small, but beautiful dark teak wood temple with gold accents. Wat Sadeau Muang or Temple of the Navel of the City, is the former site of the City Pillar (Inthakin) and the site of why King Mengrai chose this area of the center of the city. It's said that while hunting in the area the King witnessed two white deer fend off an entire pack of hunting dogs fearlessly which was an ominous sign.
Reference Big Boy Travel,com
No comments:
Post a Comment