Wat Ming Mueang - |
|
วัดมิ่งเมือง |
|
Address: |
|
|
|
|
Known as: |
|
|
|
|
Description: |
|
Housing the city pillar, Wat Ming Muang is situated on
Suriyaphong Road. The temple was once an abandoned temple where
the city pillar, made of 2 huge trunks, was found in the ruins
of its vihara. Chao Anantaworaritthidej, the Nan ruler,
established the temple around 1857 and named it ‘Wat Ming Muang’
after the name of the city pillar ‘Sao Ming Muang.’ (Sao means
pillar) The ubosot was pulled down in 1984 and the new one was
constructed in the style of the contemporary Lanna architecture.
(Lanna refers to the northern part of Thailand)
The outstanding
features of the new ubosot include the fine carved relieves and
sculptures, by Chiang Saen artists, on the outside of the
building; the mural paintings, by contemporary local artists,
depicting Nan people’s every life; and the 3-meter-high city
pillar, standing in the pavilion in front of the ubosot. The
city pillar’s base is wooden carved and decorated with gold
leaves. The top of the pillar is carved in the image of 4-faced
Brahma; each face is entitled Metta, Karuna, Mudita, and Upekkha
respectively. The
historical sites and the antiques in the temple
Sculpted and decorated
with gold leaves, the principle Buddha image is influenced by a
type of art in northern Thailand called Chiang Saen Singha
Nueng. The image is identified to be as old as 400 years and has
been renovated up to 4 times already. In the latest renovation,
the craftsman had extended the size of the image to the lap
width of 80 inches. The image is called “Luang Pho Phra Sri Ming
Muang”. This Buddha image is considered an excellent example of
the early Chiang Saen Singha Nueng image because of its
beautiful topknot, delicately carved from a gemstone found only
in Lanna. The
stupa, or ‘Chedi’, is a historical site built at the same time
as the temple. Before the renovation, it was constructed in the
style of Burmese architecture. After the renovation, the stupa
became a Lanna-style one, however, surrounded, at its four
corners, by Burmese-style small stupas with Burmese royal
umbrellas on top.
The vihara is in the style of Shan, or Tai Yai, art mixed with
Lanna. The interior features carved images decorated with gold
leaves. The ceiling depicts Trailokya or the Buddhist cosmology
and the roof is decorated with 34 swan sculptures.
Decorated with
elephant sculptures, the well, known as “Nam Bor Chang Moop, has
an arch roof. The well is important to the community because it
is the only well in the neighborhood. In the past, people
fetched the water from this well to drink and sell in the
market. The well is located at the midpoint of the route leading
in and out of the city. Thus, when the commuters were traveling
to the city, they would stop by this well and drank water from
it, and so did the commuters who travelled out of town. |
|
Province |
|
Nan |
Direction: |
|
|
|
District |
|
Mueang |
|
|
City |
|
Nai Wiang |
Comments: |
|
Official Web: |
|
|
|
Genre |
|
Temple |
|
|
Related links: |
|
|
|
Best exposure |
|
AM/PM |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Rating |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Opening time |
|
N/A |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Entry fee |
|
Free |
|
|
GPS : |
|
18.77473 N |
100.76916 E |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|