Sights in Lampang
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Wat Chedi Sao
Located about 6km north of town, via Th Pamaikhet, this temple is named for the sow (northern Thai for 20) whitewashed Lanna-style chedi on its grounds. But the wát's real treasure is a solid-gold, 15th-century seated Buddha on display in a glassed-in pavilion, built over a square pond. The image is said to contain a piece of the Buddha's skull in its head and an ancient Pali-inscribed golden palm leaf in its chest; precious stones decorate the image's hairline and robe. A farmer reportedly found the figure next to the ruins of nearby Wat Khu Kao in 1983. Monks stationed at Wat Chedi Sao make and sell herbal medicines; the popular yah mòrng is similar to tiger balm.
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Wat Phra Kaew Don Tao
From 1436 to 1468, this wát was among four in northern Thailand to previously house the Emerald Buddha (now in Bangkok's Wat Phra Kaew). The main chedi shows Hariphunchai influence, while the adjacent mon·dòp (the small square, spired building in a wát) was built in 1909. The mon·dòp, decorated with glass mosaic in typical Burmese style, contains a Mandalay-style Buddha image. A display of Lanna artefacts (mostly religious paraphernalia and woodwork) can be viewed in the wát's Lanna Museum.
Adjacent to the temple complex, pretty Wat Suchadaram dates back to 1809 and is named after Mae Suchada, the central figure in a local legend.
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Baan Sao Nak
In the old Wiang Neua (North City) section of town, Baan Sao Nak was built in 1895 in the traditional Lanna style. A huge teak house supported by 116 square teak pillars, it was once owned by a local kun·yĭng (a title equivalent to 'Lady' in England); it now serves as a local museum. The entire house is furnished with Burmese and Thai antiques, but structure itself and its manicured garden are particularly magnificent.
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Wat Si Rong Meuang & Wat Si Chum
Wat Si Rong Meuang, on Th Thakhrao Noi, and Wat Si Chum, on Th Thipawan, were built in the late 19th century by Burmese artisans. The temple buildings are constructed in the Burmese 'layered' style, with tin roofs gabled by intricate woodcarvings.
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Wat Pongsanuk Tai
Despite having lost much of its character in a recent renovation, the mon·dòp at Wat Pongsanuk is still one of the few remaining local examples of original Lanna-style temple architecture, which emphasised open-sided wooden buildings. To get an idea of what it was like previously, look at the carved wooden gateway at the entrance to the north stairway.
There are a couple of informal museums on the temple grounds showing local artefacts, but with little English explanation.
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