Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Also on the temple grounds is a
museum
displaying temple antiques, ceramics and reli-
gious art dating from the Lanna, Nan, Bago and Mon periods.
The verandah of the main
wí·hăhn
(sanctuary) is in the classic Luang Prabang-Lan
Xang style but has unfortunately been bricked in with laterite. Opposite the front of the
wí·hăhn
is Pratu Khong, part of the city's original entrance gate. No longer used as a gate,
it now contains a statue of Chao Pu, an early Lanna ruler.
Phra That Luang Chang Kham, the large octagonal Lanna-style
chedi
, sits on a square
base with elephants supporting it on all four sides. As is sometimes seen in Phrae and
Nan, the
chedi
is occasionally swathed in Thai Lü fabric.
The museum's 16th-century Phrae-made sitting Buddha on the 2nd floor is particularly
exquisite. There are also some 19th-century photos with English labels on display, includ-
ing some gruesome shots of a beheading. The museum is usually open weekends only, but
the monks will sometimes open it on weekdays on request.
BUDDHIST TEMPLE
Wat Phra Non
( Th Phra Non Neua; daylight hours)
Located west of Wat Luang is a 300-year-old wát
named after its highly revered reclining Buddha image. The
bòht
(chapel) was built
around 200 years ago and has an impressive roof with a separate, two-tiered portico and
gilded, carved, wooden facade with Ramayana scenes. The adjacent
wí·hăhn
contains the
Buddha image, swathed in Thai Lü cloth with bead and foil decoration.
Wat Jom Sawan
BUDDHIST TEMPLE
( Th Ban Mai; daylight hours)
Outside the old city on Th Ban Mai, this temple was
built by local Shan in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, and shows Shan and Burmese
influences throughout. An adjacent copper-crowned
chedi
has lost most of its stucco to re-
veal the artful brickwork beneath. Since a recent renovation, Wat Jom Sawan is more of a
museum piece than a functioning temple.
Wat Phra Baht
Ming Meuang buddhist
TEMPLE
