Things to do in Lamphun
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Wat Phra That Hariphunchai
This Buddhist temple enjoys an exalted status because it dates back to the Mon period, having been built on the site of Queen Chama Thewi's palace in 1044 (1108 or 1157 according to some datings). It lay derelict until Khru Ba Sriwichai, a famous northern Thai monk, made renovations in the 1930s. It boasts some interesting architecture, a couple of fine Buddha images and two old chedi (stupas) in the original Hariphunchai style. The tallest of the ancient chedi, Chedi Suwan, is a narrow brick spire dating from 1418 that sits 21m high. The newer chedi, 46m-high Phra Maha That Chedi, is regarded as a textbook example of 15th-century Lanna architecture with its square pedest…
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Hariphunchai National Museum
Across the street from Wat Phra That Hariphunchai is the informative Hariphunchai National Museum. Run by the national Fine Arts Department, this museum has a collection of Mon and Lanna artefacts and Buddhas from the Dvaravati kingdom, as well as a stone inscription gallery with Mon and Thai Lanna scripts. The curator's passion for the museum and Lamphun's heritage is infectious. There is a small bookshop with some English titles.
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Noodle and Rice Shops
There is a string of decent noodle shops south of Wat Phra That on the main street.
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Wat Chama Thewi
A more unusual Hariphunchai chedi can be seen at Wat Chama Thewi (popularly called Wat Kukut) and dates to around the 13th century. Known as Chedi Suwan Chang Kot, it has been restored many times since then, so it is now a mixture of several schools of architecture but is widely regarded as one of the most recent examples of Dvaravati architecture. Each side of the chedi has five rows of three Buddha figures, diminishing in size on each higher level. The standing Buddhas, although made recently, are in Dvaravati style.
The temple is about 1.5km from Wat Phra That Hariphunchai; you can take a motorcycle taxi (20B) from in front of the museum.
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