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Wat Chedi Luang is one of the more interesting ruins in the old Lanna city of Chiang Saen, Thailand. The temple was originally built in 1291, not long after the construction of the city walls by King Saen Phu.
These days, Wat Chedi Luang is still a working temple, and there are some modern structures built among and on top of the old ruins.
Surrounding the temple is a brick wall with various statues built on top of it.
A tree growing over the surrounding wall
A statue at the entrance gate
Most of the temple is badly in ruin, however the most impressive structure is the main chedi which gives the temple it’s name and is the largest in Chiang Saen. There are other remains of chedis and different structures scattered around the grounds, but central to it all is the old viharn which has a modern structure built over it for current use. It has been built in such a way that you can still appreciate the ruins of the viharn underneath it.
The main chedi built in the late 13th century and extended in the 16th century
An ancient wall and pathway in the temple
The crumbled remains of a chedi
A tree growing over some ruins
The remains of an old chedi
The old viharn with modern roof and decorations
If you love history and exploring ancient ruins, Chiang Saen is well worth a visit, and you can easily make a day trip from Chiang Rai and include a visit to the Golden Triangle at the same time. When I visited Chiang Saen I seemed to be the only tourist in town, so it’s also a great place to escape the crowds and have more of a local experience.
Those ruins are beautiful!
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[…] a few ruins of ancient temples as I wandered along the main street, but the most impressive was Wat Chedi Luang which is still used as a working temple today. When I eventually reached the ancient walls of the […]
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[…] week’s travel photo is of a Buddha statue on the wall of Wat Chedi Luang in Chiang Saen, Thailand. The construction of the temple apparently began in the year 1291, making […]