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| Lamphun Tourism and Tourist Places of Interest |
| Inside Wat Phra That Haripunchai |
- Lamphun was first settled by the Lawa and later the Mon. Lamphun [ then
called Haripunchai ] is thought to have been settled by the Mon in the
beginning of the 9th C.
- Lumphun city was the capital of the Mon Haripunchai
Empire. The chronicles tell of wars in the 11th C with the Khmers from
Lop Buri.
- In the 13th C Khmer power was waning in the region with
rebellions in Lower North Thailand at Si Satchanalai, Sukhothai and
elsewhere.
- In 1281 the city and the Haripunchai Kingdom were conquered
by the Tai Yuan led by King Mangrai.
There Are Five Significant Tourist Places Of Interest In Lamphun, Chiang Mai Province:
- The ancient Mon moat in the typical oval shape
- Wat Phra That Haripunchai. This is the largest Wat in North
Thailand and was constructed by the Mon about 1150 [ although the
remaining buildings date from the 15th C ]. This is the most
significant site in the region
- The National Museum of Lamphun. It has a good collection of Mon sculptures in stucco, bronze, terracotta and bronze
- Wat Ku Kut. It contains the Mahapol Chedi built in 1150 and
which is the finest example of Dvaravati architecture. This and the
smaller 13th C chedi are made of brick and contain niches in which
stand stucco made statues of Buddha in typical Mon style. These have
broad heads and facial features not typically Thai as we understand
today and Indian [ Pala ] influences of appearance which perhaps came
from Pagan in nearby Burma
- Ku Chang or elephant shrine which is understood to be the
burial place of the Mon Queen, Chamathewi's war elephant which saved
the city from the Lawa by crushing the Lawa chief against the city wall
- Wat Phra Yeun. This was built in 1370 on a site on which was an 11th C Buddha.
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| Mythological Temple Lion , Burmese Style |
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