Wat Chedi Luang - Buddhist Temple, Chiang Mai

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Located in the centre of the old town, this wat contains the ruins of what must have been a huge chedi which has become the symbol of the city.

King Saen Muang Ma began building the Phra Chedi Luang to enshrine the relics of his father at the end of the 14th century, but King Tilokarat completed it. The chedi used to be 90 meters high before it was partly destroyed in an earthquake in 1545; it was to remain the tallest structure in Chiang Mai for over 500 years. The present restored chedi is about 60 meters high. To the west of the chedi is a viharn with a reclining Buddha and the Sangkhachai Buddha.

The large viharn was built in 1928. Round columns with bell shaped bases and lotus finials support the high red ceiling inside. The standing Buddha image inside is known as the Phra Chao Attarot. Made of a combination of brass alloy and mortar, the image dates back to King Saen Muang Ma (r.1385-1401).

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I was lucky that the impressive Wat Chedi Luang (also known as Temple of the Big Stupa) , was on the opposite side of the road to my accommodation.

This is an old Wat, built about 600 years ago by King Saen Muang Ma in 1391 to hold the ashes of his father. The building was expanded in 1475 to be its present size.

The chedi was mostly destroyed within a few hundred years of its construction probably because of an earthquake in the 17th century, or it could have been King Taksin's cannons firing on the city to chase out the Burmese in the 18th century.

The pagoda has been partially reconstructed, but the spire has not been touched, one thing, it would have been quite high when fully built.

Wat Chedi Luang was also important because FOR A SHORT TIME IT HOUSED THE EMERALD BUDDHA, WHICH IS NOW IN BANGKOK. (This is the holiest Religious item)
There is now a replica here in eastern niche of the chedi which was kindly donated by the King.
Other niches have stone Buddha images and around the base there are quite a few Elephant Statues.

SOME THINGS OF INTEREST.....................
There is also a special pulley system which allows visitors to leave offerings and prayers atop the Chedi!..................AND.............
To the left of the entrance is a very tall gum tree — legend has it that if this tree ever falls, a great catastrophe will strike Chiang Mai.

This is also nicely lit up at night, worth a visit.
If you happen to hear all the Dogs howling like I did, then you know the bell is being rung, quite a Din!
Its one of the most impressive Wats in Chiang Mai.

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The temple compound is dominated by the huge ruined chedi, which is the tallest structure in the old town. The chedi dates back to 1441 & was once 90m high. It is rumoured to have been damaged by an earthquake or cannon fire.

The chedi is not open to the public but there are many other buildings in the compound that you can go inside. There are monks to be seen in the grounds, it's possible for visitors to sit & have a chat with some of them.

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A very impressive temple can be found in his Wat. There is a tall gum tree to the left of the entrance.
The other outstanding structure is the chedi, which was severely damaged due to an earthquake in 1545. One can just imagine how magnificent this chedi must have been back then. There are some beautiful buildings and Buddha images. There is a reclining Buddha at the back of the chedi. Although not nearly as impressive as the one in Bangkok, it is still a nice image.
It is worth spending some time here, as there is so much to see.
You can also visit this Wat at night, when the chedi is even more impressive with its special lighting.

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The building of Wat Chedi Luang caught our eyes. You see and you fall in love with the historical architecture. Built up in 1441 and is more than 6 centuries years old. Elephants around it shows how meaningful the animal are for Nord-Thailand.

Wat Chedi Luang means great tower temple. The buddha was transfered to Bangkok. Recently UN and Japan support to repair it.

Chedi Luang, also known as Jedi Luang, was built in 1391 under the rule of King Saen Muang Ma (who was the 8th ruler of the Mengrai dynasty).

In 1468 King Tilokarat made the pagoda (the chedi) the home of the emerald buddah which is one of the country's most precious and tresured treasures.

In 1545 there was an earthquake which destroyed Wat Chedi Luang and in 1551 teh emerald buddah was moved away from here to Luang Prabang.

When I visited this site it was under reconstruction, financed by UNESCO.

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I think this should be the main landmak in Chiang Mail old city as it is the biggest monument you can find. Nothing actually special about this wat except it is really huge and very old. People might find other wats more attractive because there seems like no renovation or upgrading works on this wat. But what you are getting will be the real wat aging thru the centuries since it was built.

There are about 4 Buddha statues in the wat which are located high above the ground level. You cannot go up as it was fenced up. Besides that, there are also a few big elephant statues surrounding the wat. Some of them are missing or damaged. Then one side of the wat was also destroyed, might happened during the Burmese invasion long long ago as Chiang Mai will be the closest city to Burma (Myanmar).

I believe there used to be a water canal surrounding the wat when it was first designed. However, it is now filled with grasses and what you can see is only dried up canal.

At the backyard, you can fine the statue of 2 monks and sleeping Buddha. You are very welcome to chat with the local monks as they are very happy to chat wi you. You can ask them anything about the Buddhist religion, monks' life, Chiang Mai's history, etc...

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The original chedi (pagoda) of Wat Chedi Luang was built in 1391 during the reign of King Saen Muang Ma, 8th ruler of the Mengrai dynasty.

The already-massive chedi was progressively expanded until it reached it 280 feet (84 meters) in height in 1475, when King Tilokarat made it the home of the Emerald Buddha, the most important cultural treasure in Thailand (now in Bangkok's Wat Phra Kaeo).

The pagoda was heavily damaged in 1545 in a major earthquake, just 11 years before Chiang Mai fell to the Burmese. It was never rebuilt, but a new worship hall has been added next to the ruined pagoda.
Despite its ruined state, a Buddha image still graces Wat Chedi Luang's exterior, and it's not unusual to spot a saffron-robed monk bowing to it as he circles the chedi.

The new worship hall at Wat Chedi Luang is decorated with naga (snake) and peacock motifs.

To the left of the entrance is a tall gum tree — legend says that if it ever falls, a great catastrophe will occur. A small building near the tree enshrines the Spirit of the City (Sao Intakin) that was moved from its original site in 1775.

Wat Phan Tao, also on the grounds, has a wooden wihaan (Spirit House) and bot (central shrine in a Buddhist temple), reclining Buddha, and fine carving on the eaves and door. After leaving the temple, walk around to the monks' quarters on the side, taking in the traditional teak northern architecture and delightful landscaping. There are often monks sitting at the table who like to practice their English and are happy to talk about life as a monk to you. I enjoyed my monk chats and look forward to returning to learn more about Buddhism.