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Wat Chedi Luang

Ruins of a Towering Stupa

Located in the heart of Chiang Mai's old town, Wat Chedi Luang once boasted an 82-meter-tall stupa that was only half because of an earthquake. The temple is one of the most important Buddhist temples in Chiang Mai, with the Chiang Mai City Pillars, a main hall, three dipterocarp trees and a Buddhist museum.

Located in the heart of Chiang Mai’s Old Town, Wat Chedi Luang Temple, or Temple of the Great Stupa, is one of the most important Buddhist temples in Chiang Mai, built in 1391 by order of King Lanna VII to house the bones of his father. Unfortunately, the top of the stupa collapsed in an earthquake in 1545, and only The Lower Half and the Base of the Stupa remain.

Even so, the Great Stupa at Wat Chedi Luang Temple is still considered an icon of Chiang Mai. The Great Stupa has four Stairs Guarded by Nagas that lead up to the niche on the first story of the stupa. Since 1468, Thailand’s national treasure, the Emerald Buddha, has been enshrined in the East Niche of the Stupa, and after the earthquake, it was moved from place to place before it was finally placed in the Temple of the Emerald Buddha inside the Grand Palace in Bangkok.

The base under the stupa was also damaged, and only six of the original 28 Elephant Decorations remain, five of which were restored later.

Manywhere Trivia:
The restoration work on the Great Stupa has never stopped, with the most recent major restoration occurring in 1990. Many believe that the original Lanna style has been lost during the restoration process.

In 1800, the Sao Inthakin, the Chiang Mai City Pillar by Mangrai, the first Lanna king, was relocated to Wat Chedi Luang Temple, along with the planting of Three Dipterocarp Trees, which has been watching over the ancient city of Chiang Mai and its people with the Great Stupa ever since.

What Are You Looking at?

To learn more about the history of Wat Chedi Luang Temple, don’t miss the Phra Chao Attarot Buddha in the main hall, the Reclining Buddha with 500 Years of History, and the Buddhist Museum inside the temple. The tour guide will show you Buddhist artifacts and treasure scriptures, and tell you about the past of the Lanna Kingdom and Wat Chedi Luang.