Wat Phra Singh – Chiang Mai's Beautiful Lanna Temple You Shouldn't Miss

Let's go make merit! Today Meeting Point is heading north to visit Wat Phra Singh Woramahawihan in Chiang Mai – a beautiful temple you really shouldn't miss. If you ever get the chance to visit Chiang Mai, stop by and soak up the authentic Lanna atmosphere.

Wat Phra Singh, full name Wat Phra Singh Woramahawihan, is one of Chiang Mai's most important temples. It enshrines Phra Singh (Phra Phuttha Sihing), a sacred Buddha image regarded as a guardian of Chiang Mai and the Lanna kingdom. The image is in Chiang Saen style, known as "Chiang Saen Singh Nueng".

Wat Phra Singh is famous for its beautiful Lanna architecture. Every year during Songkran, or the Lanna New Year festival (Pi Mai Mueang), officials carry the Phra Phuttha Sihing image on a ceremonial carriage in a procession around the city so that the faithful can pour water over it to mark the new year. According to Lanna belief, people born in the Year of the Dragon should pay respect to Phra Singh at least once in their lives.

Wat Phra Singh Woramahawihan is a first-class royal temple of the Woramahawihan grade, located in Phra Sing subdistrict, Mueang Chiang Mai. It was built in 1345 (B.E. 1888) by King Phayu, the fifth king of Chiang Mai's Mangrai dynasty, to house the remains of his father, King Kham Fu. The temple was originally called Wat Li Chiang Phra – "li" means market in the Lanna language, and in front of the temple was a community with the Li Chiang Phra market where locals traded, hence the name at the time.

In 1400 (B.E. 1943), King Saen Mueang Ma brought the ancient and sacred Phra Phuttha Sihing (Phra Singh) image to Wat Li Chiang Phra, and the temple was renamed Wat Phra Singh. In 1940, during the reign of King Rama VIII, the temple was elevated to a first-class royal temple of the Woramahawihan grade, and it has been known as Wat Phra Singh Woramahawihan ever since.

History of Phra Phuttha Sihing

Phra Phuttha Sihing, or Phra Singh, is an ancient gold-covered bronze Buddha image in the meditation posture, 79 cm tall with a lap width of 63 cm, in Sri Lankan style. According to legend, it was made by King Sihala of Sri Lanka in B.E. 700. Later, the ruler of Nakhon Si Thammarat requested it and presented it to King Phra Ruang of Sukhothai. When King Borommarachathirat I of Ayutthaya made Sukhothai a vassal state, the image was brought to Ayutthaya. It was later taken to Kamphaeng Phet and then Chiang Rai. When King Saen Mueang Ma of Chiang Mai conquered Chiang Rai, he brought the Phra Phuttha Sihing to Chiang Mai together with the Emerald Buddha. After King Narai the Great captured Chiang Mai in 1662 (B.E. 2205), the image was enshrined at Wat Phra Si Sanphet in Ayutthaya for 105 years. When Ayutthaya fell to the Burmese for the second time in 1767 (B.E. 2310), the people of Chiang Mai brought the image back to Chiang Mai once the northern region returned to Thai rule.

In the reign of King Rama I, the Front Palace viceroy, Somdet Phra Bowonratchao Maha Sura Singhanat, had the image brought down to Bangkok in 1795 (B.E. 2338). Today, according to this account, the Phra Phuttha Sihing is housed in the Phutthaisawan Throne Hall at the Front Palace (Wang Na) in Bangkok and is brought out during Songkran for people to pay respect and pour water, while the Phra Singh at this temple is a replica.

The temple grounds also have many other beautiful sights, including Wihan Lai Kham, the scripture library (Ho Trai) and the ordination hall (ubosot). They're stunning – you really need to see them with your own eyes.

Visiting Wat Phra Singh Woramahawihan, Chiang Mai

Location: Samlan Road, Phra Sing, Mueang Chiang Mai, Chiang Mai

Map: https://goo.gl/maps/qy9qWcgmhoZ7YMho8

Open to visitors: 09:00–18:00

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Author Meeting Point Management Team, MBA มหาวิทยาลัยธรรมศาสตร์ MBA University of Technology Sydney (UTS) DBA มหาวิทยาลัยธรรมศาสตร์ Editorial Team

The Meeting Point management team loves eating, travelling, temple visits and lifestyle. We pick the restaurants, cafes, stays, attractions and temples we have visited ourselves and write about them honestly.