Description of the attraction
Wat Phra Singh, or otherwise the Temple of Buddha-Lion (in the translation from Thai “singh” - “lion”), is rightfully the most important temple of the city. It contains two of the most valuable medieval statues.
The temple was founded in 1345 by King Phra Yu to bury the ashes of his father, King Kham Phu. Wat Phra Singh received its official name in 1367, when the statue of the same name of Phra Singh, or Buddha the Lion, was placed in it. In 1922, the head of the Buddha was stolen and replaced with an identical copy.
The second relic of the Phra Sing temple is the statue of Buddha Phra Singha Noi (aka “the small Buddha Phra Sing”). This is a miniature copy of Phra Singh Buddha, made by Phaya Tilokaraj (ninth king of the Mengrai dynasty) in 1477 in honor of the Eighth Buddhist Assembly.
At one of the periods, the temple also housed a statue of the Emerald Buddha, which is now kept in Bangkok as the country's main relic.
Despite the cultural value of the temple, in the 18th century it almost fell into ruins due to a decrease in the population, but in the 19th century its restoration began.
The central building on the territory of Wat Phra Singh - Viharn Luang - was rebuilt in 1925 and renovated in 2008. Its interior design impresses with a combination of a bright red painted ceiling and majestic snow-white columns.
The smaller office of Vata Phra Singh, called Viharn Lai Kham, was built in 1345 and renovated in the early 19th century. The building is a fine example of northern Lanna architecture. It is in it that the Buddha Phra Singh is located, which many Buddhists in Thailand seek to see. Inside Viharna Lai Kham, beautiful frescoes (circa 1820) have been preserved, illustrating stories from the ancient Buddhist scripture Jataka.
On the territory of Wat Phra Singh there is a Buddhist library built in 1477. Inside it contains ancient manuscripts, and outside the library is skillfully decorated with figures of Buddhist spirits.
