Wat Phra Kaew
The most sacred temple in Chiang Rai, it once housed the Emerald Buddha (made of jade) that is now at Bangkok’s Grand Place in a temple of the same name. Near its Lanna-style chapel is the chedi, which (according to legend) was struck by lightning in 1434 to reveal the precious green jasper Buddha. There is now a green jade replica of the image on display in a pavilion behind the viharn. The murals depict the journey of the original Emerald Buddha and tells the story of how the current one arrived in Chiang Rai. View Lanna artifacts in the adjacent wooden museum. Two blocks east is Wat Phra Sing (donation suggested; daily 7am-dusk), a restored temple dating back to the 14th-century that is known for its replica of the Phra Sihing Buddha, a highly revered Theravada Buddhist image; the original was moved to Chiang Mai’s Wat Phra Singh.
The most sacred temple in Chiang Rai, it once housed the Emerald Buddha (made of jade) that is now at Bangkok’s Grand Place in a temple of the same name. Near its Lanna-style chapel is the chedi, which (according to legend) was struck by lightning in 1434 to reveal the precious green jasper Buddha. There is now a green jade replica of the image on display in a pavilion behind the viharn. The murals depict the journey of the original Emerald Buddha and tells the story of how the current one arrived in Chiang Rai. View Lanna artifacts in the adjacent wooden museum. Two blocks east is Wat Phra Sing (donation suggested; daily 7am-dusk), a restored temple dating back to the 14th-century that is known for its replica of the Phra Sihing Buddha, a highly revered Theravada Buddhist image; the original was moved to Chiang Mai’s Wat Phra Singh.
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