Wat Phra Kaeo description and photos - Thailand: Chiang Rai (Topic)

Wat Phra Kaeo description and photos - Thailand: Chiang Rai. Detailed information about the attraction. Description, photographs and a map showing the nearest significant objects. The name in English is Wat Phra Kaeo.

Photo and description

A whole complex of temple buildings under the single name Wat Phra Kaew is spread over an area of 10,640 square meters on Trayrat Street in the center of Chiang Rai. Wat Phra Kaew is the center of the Buddhist community (sangha) of northern Thailand, it houses the educational monastic institutions, as well as the department of leadership.

Wat Phra Kaew is one of the oldest and most revered temples in Chiang Rai. The temple is of great historical importance for the whole of Thailand. The exact date of its construction is not known.

Originally the temple had a different name: Wat Pa Yah. Everything changed in 1434, when the octagonal chedi (stupa) on its territory split from a lightning strike, revealing to the world of amazing beauty the statue of the Emerald Buddha. The temple was named after the statue "Phra Keo".

Buddhists believe that the statue of the Emerald Buddha is of divine origin and is treated with great reverence. She was repeatedly transported to a new place, many tried to take possession of the statue with the help of force and power. The endpoint of the Phra Kaew statue's travels in 1778 was the current capital of Thailand, Bangkok, when King Rama I took it out of Laos. The Emerald Buddha statue was erected at Wat Phra Kaew in Bangkok on March 22, 1784. Thais sincerely believe that their state exists as long as they have the Emerald Buddha.

The Phra Kaew Temple in Chiang Rai now houses an expertly crafted copy of the original statue of the Emerald Buddha, made to order in 1990. In 1991, the replicated statue underwent a special consecration ceremony at Wat Phra Kaew in Bangkok.

On the territory of the temple is the Sengkae Museum, built in 1995 in the traditional style of northern Thailand. It houses a rich collection of Northern Thai art. Detailed commentaries on each exhibit in Thai and English provide complete information on each item.

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Topic: Wat Phra Kaeo description and photos - Thailand: Chiang Rai.