Northern Thailand - Thailand - page 577

The 26km voyage along a former highway between Chiang Mai and Lamphun is one of
the city's primary attractions. It's a beautiful country road, stretches of which are canopied
by tall dipterocarp trees.

Sights

Wat Phra That

Hariphunchai
(Th Inthayongyot; admission 20B; daylight hours) This temple spans back to the Mon period, hav-
ing originally been built on the site of Queen Chama Thewi's palace in 1044 (or 1108 or
1157 according to some datings).
Behind the temple is Kad Khua Moong Tha Sing ( 9am-6pm) , a souvenir market selling loc-
al items such as dried lam yai (longan fruit) and silk.
The temple boasts some interesting architecture, a couple of fine Buddha images and
two old chedi (stupas) in the original Hariphunchai style. The compound lay derelict until
Khru Ba Sriwichai, a famous northern Thai monk, ordered renovations in the 1930s.
The tallest of the ancient chedi , Chedi Suwan, is a narrow brick spire dating from 1418
that sits 21m high. The newer chedi , 46m-high Phra Maha That Chedi, is regarded as a
textbook example of 15th-century Lanna architecture with its square pedestal rising to a
rounded bell shape.

BUDDHIST TEMPLE

Hariphunchai National Museum
(Th Inthayongyot; admission 100B; 9am-4pm Wed-Sun) Across the street from Wat Phra That Hari-
phunchai is the informative Hariphunchai National Museum. Inside is a collection of Mon
and Lanna artefacts and Buddhas from the Dvaravati kingdom, as well as a stone inscrip-
tion gallery with Mon and Thai Lanna scripts. There is a small bookshop with some Eng-
lish titles.

MUSEUM

Wat Chama Thewi
(Th Chamadevi; daylight hours) An unusual Hariphunchai chedi can be seen at Wat
Chama Thewi. The structure dates to around the 13th century, but has been restored many
times since then and is now a mixture of several schools of architecture.
Wat Chama Thewi is about 1.5km from Wat Phra That Hariphunchai; you can take a
motorcycle taxi (20B) from the museum.

BUDDHIST TEMPLE