In this trip, we will guide you to tour Wat Phra Kaeo in Chiang Rai province. This temple has been regarded as the sacred and respectable temple of Chiang Rai for generations. Moreover, there are also many interesting ancient remains and antiques that are worthy of education and conservation for the next generation. So this trip, we will volunteer to lead you all to learn more about Wat Phra Kaeo, Chiang Rai. Here we go! 

               Wat Phra Kaeo is the third grade royal temple which located in the city of Chiang Rai province. Wat Phra Kaeo is the ancient temple that hasn’t appeared which era it was established. In that area, there was one kind of bamboos resembling Si Sook bamboo but it had no any thorns, the villagers liked to bring it making bows and crossbows then Chiang Rai people called Wat Par Yia. In the Buddhist Eras of 1977 later, the pagoda located behind the ubosot was stroke by the thunderbolt, and then meeting a lacquered and gilded image of Buddha. Later the cement was broken then seeing the jade image of Buddha thereafter this temple then has been continuously called Wat Phra Kaeo.

               According to the history telling that King Maha Prom who occupied Chiang Rai, installed the Emerald Buddha from Kamphaeng Phet. During that time, the country situation was rather bad so he overlaid it with cement then housing in the pagoda of Wat Par Yia.45 years later, the pagoda was stroke by thunderbolt then met a lacquered and gilded image of Buddha falling from the pagoda then he installed to keep in the temple for 2 month. Then the cement covered around its nose was broken that caused seeing the jade glass so an abbot had the cement picked out and then the Emerald Buddha appeared.

               During that time, Chiang Rai was under the administration of Chiangmai which was the era of Phra Chao Sarm Phung Kan. When he knew about the Emerald Buddha, he moved the Emerald Buddha to Chiang Mai and the total period of time that the Emerald Buddha placing there was 45 year. Wat Par Yia that housed the Emerald Buddha afterwards has been called Wat Phra Kaeo.

               At Wat Phra Kaeo, there are many important ancient remains and antiques and this temple is also the learning place for Buddhist including monks and novices. Within Wat Phra Kaeo, there are also Somdet Phra Phuttha Chinnawong building, the museum hall, Phuttiwong Wittaya school which is the school of monk, and Phra Yok Chiang Rai hall where the image of Ratanakorn Nawootwassanusorn Mongkol Buddha placing there which is the green jade replica of the image establishing instead of the Emerald Buddha that was first discovered at the pagoda of Wat Phra Kaeo.

               The ubosot was established in the Buddhist Eras of 2433, its size was 9.50 meters wide and 21.85 meters long. Originally, it was the temple and later was restored in 2503. This ubosot is very exquisite which was constructed like the Chiang Saen style ubosot, its base is short and its roof is a bit low. It is the place where housing the principle Buddha image in a temple which Chiang Rai people call “Phra Chao Lan Thong”. This is the bronze image of Buddha in the posture style of the image of Buddha regarding as the most beautiful image of Buddha in Thailand.

               The image of Phra Chao Lan Thong has 2 meters long measure of the Buddha statue in the posture of meditation, its top hair to the halo is 2.80 meters tall, its head is 1.60 meters round, it is in the posture of sitting on, its halo like to have a budding lotus in the flame, the edge of breast cloth is above its breast, the knot on the Buddha image's head is big, a knot at its chin is big and clearly. This is the holy image of Buddha which the Chiang Rai people have very much respected for. Formerly, it was placed at Wat Phra Chao Lan Thong and later that temple became deserted so the image of Buddha was installed at Wat Doi Ngum Muang and then has been installed to place at Wat Phra Kaeo as the principle Buddha image in a temple since the Buddhist Eras of 2504 until now.

               Phra Kaeo Yok is the image of Buddha that the clergies and the Chiang Rai Buddhists helped to establish due to the opportunity of the ninetieth anniversary of Princess Srinagarindra on 21^st October, the Buddhist Era of 2533. The king performed a ceremony at the ubosot of Wat Phra Sri Rattana Satsadaram on 20^th September, the Buddhist Eras of 2434 and after that Chiang Rai people have installed to place at Wat Phra Kaeo and called Phra Yok Chiang Rai from that time on.

               The pagoda is the place discovering Phra Phuttha Maha Mani Rattana Patimakon (Phra Kaeo Morakot) sine the Buddhist Era of 1977, it is the octagon base pagoda which each octagon is 5.20 meters wide and the diameter is 9.50 meters. While Phra Phutthi Wong Wiwat was an abbot, he has asked for the permission from Fine Arts Department restoring Phra Kaeo Morakot since the Buddhist Eras of 2495-2497 and then it has been re-restored while Phra Thep Rattana Muni was an abbot.

               Somdet Phra Phuttha Chinnawong building has been established as the remembrance in the priest's rank celebration of Somdet Phra Phuttha Chinnawong who is the first majesty of Lanna. This building has 4 floors which each size is 25 meter wide and 40 meters long.

               The atmosphere within Wat Phra Kaeo is shady and the weather is cool. There are small and big trees growing orderly around the temple area and all trees growing within the temple also have the signs identifying their names. Besides, there are also local herbs for learning and there is the medium-size pond for feeding fish and turtles which the tourists can make merit by setting fish or turtles free or feeding fish at your preference.

               To travel to Wat Phra Kaeo, besides we can see the beautiful fineness within the temple, we also get calm-hearted together with learning new experiences. If you all have a chance to go to Chiang Rai, don’t forget to travel at Wat Phra Kaeo. For the way to Wat Phra Kaeo, you can begin from Phor Khun Meng Rai junction in Chiang Rai city then turn left to Singha Clai road, go straight continuously until ending at the tri-junction then turn left about 100 meters you will see Wat Phra Kaeo is on your right hand side.
 

 

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