Wat Phra That Chang Kham aka Wat Luang Klang Wiang
“Worship the Sukothai-styled Elephant-base Pagoda and follow the path of the Walking Buddha”, a simple phrase to describe the highlight of Wat Phra That Chang Kham. Our curiosity made us wander into the temple to see for ourselves how this would look like.
Wat Phra That Chang Kham or Wat Luang Klang Wiang, is located across Nan National Museum. It was built in BE 1949 by the Ruler of Nan at the time, and used to perform Buddhist ceremonies and rituals in the past.
Visitors immediately notice the large pagoda as they enter the temple compound. The pagoda houses Phra Boromsarilikthat Buddha image; the locals call it Phra That Luang. Looking at the base, you will see statues of elephants, six on each side. The pagoda appears to be built on the back of elephants. If you look at the top of Phra That, you will notice that it has been covered in copper. When the sun shines, its rays are scattered everywhere.
Furthermore, the tower containing ‘Tripitaka’1 located adjacent to the temple, is the biggest in Thailand. The tower was built in BE 2453, and in it is Phra Phutthanunthaburi-srisakayamunee, a Sukhothai-style gold Buddha image in walking stance. The image is contains 65% gold, and stands 145 centimeters tall.
Close to the tower, you will find a sanctuary built in Lanna-style. This sancutary is used to perform Buddist ceremonies and rituals, and inside you will find Phra Chao Luang, another Buddha image.
If you have the chance to visit Nan, make sure to visit this religious landmark to view Lanna and Sukhothai architecture.
1 The three divisions of the the Buddist Canon
