Mon Saen Dao Resort

Phratat Doi Hang Bat

by theo1006

Approaching Lamphun from the north along road #1147 we drove to through flat country except for a lone hill on our left, close to the provincial border. From afar the shining white chedi on top of the hill attracted attention. This was the Doi Hang Bat pagoda.
It is not known when the pagoda was built. The name Hang Bat refers to the story that Lord Buddha once visited the hill before going out to gather alms. In the local dialect Hang Bat means preparing one's alms bowl. A deep hole in the rock in front of the chedi would be a trace of Lord Buddha's alms bowl.
A short path leads from the pagoda to an iron tower from which one has a good view over the plains to the northwest. Half way up the road to the pagoda we saw a newly built Chinese chapel with a statue of bodhisattva Kuan Yin.

Directions: From Lamphun take road 1147 past Ban Thi until the hill is in sight. Turn into the narrow road that leads to and up the hill.

Lamphun

by Rodan44

My wife and I visited Lamphun as a daytrip from Chiang Mai. Lamphun is about 30km south of Chiang Mai and can be reached by special Blue Sangthaews that depart from Chiang Mai along the highway that runs south along the east bank of the Ping River.

Lamphun is one of the oldest cities in Thailand, and was the capital of the ancient Haripunchai kingdom, whose people were of Mon descent.
Today, you will find several ancient temples, the highlights of which are Wat Chamthewi with its Khmer-style stone chedi, and Wat Phra That Haripunchai with its 46 meter tall golden chedi, one of the most sacred in all of Thailand. The Haripunchai National Museum is also worth a visit for those interested in the long history of the region.

Please visit the Northern Thailand page on my personal website to see many more high quality photos from this destination.