Wat Phra That Chae Haeng

Across the river from Nan town is the Wat Phra That Chae Haeng, the town’s most important temple. The 14th-century temple is located on a small hill east of town across the Nan river, from where good views of the town of Nan and the surrounding valley and river can be had. The temple derives its name from the Phra That Chae Haeng, the gilded chedi that contains a relic of the Buddha. The Wat Phra That Chae Haeng was founded in 1355. The structures of the temple complex show a mix of several architectural styles, including Lanna and Thai Lü.
A broad walkway flanked by long balustrades leads up to the temple grounds. The lower end of the balustrades is topped with massive 4 meter high heads of the mythological Naga snake, the body of the serpent extending all the way up to the temple area. On top of the mound is a square walled courtyard accessible through entrance gates. The large courtyard surrounded by open galleries contains a chedi, a vihara and a mandapa.
The Wat Phra That Chae Haeng’s vihara named Viharn Luang is built in Thai Lü style. The entrance to the vihara is guarded by two large white lions. Over the main entrance door is a stucco relief of interwoven Naga serpents. The plastered walls contain small windows. The vihara has a three-tiered roof with wooden carved eaves, the ends of the roof are ornamented with Chofah. Two rows of white pillars inside the vihara support the roof. The large Sukhothai style Buddha in the vihara is the temple’s principal Buddha image.
Probably the oldest structure of the Wat is the gilded chedi, that was built around 1355. The 55-meter high slender chedi named Phra That Chae Haeng enshrines a relic of the Buddha as well as silver and gold votive tablets. The spiral-shaped chedi that was rebuilt in 1454 is set on a square base.
Next to the chedi is the temple’s mondop, an open structure with a cruciform, multi-tiered roof. Its large red gable is decorated with gold-coloured motifs. Inside the mondop are several Buddha images seated on colourful pedestals.
A number of the Wat Phra That Chae Haeng’s temple buildings are located outside the walled courtyard, including two ubosot or ordination halls. The old ubosot is a small building with very little exterior decoration. A more recent ubosot has a two-tiered roof and a beautiful depiction of an elephant kneeling for the Buddha on the gable of its front façade. Its window shutters are adorned with carved floral motifs. Other structures are a small chedi with a stepped square base and spiral top and a vihara that contains a large Reclining Buddha image. [Source: Renown Travel]

Ayutthaya Historical Research