Wihan Luang
An open hall from 1476.
Mastertongapollo — CC BY-SA 4.0 · ErwinMeier — CC BY-SA 4.0 · ErwinMeier — CC BY-SA 4.0 · PA — CC BY-SA 4.0 · PA — CC BY-SA 4.0
One of the finest and most complete Lanna temples in northern Thailand, inside an old brick wall on a low mound south-west of Lampang. It began as a fortress, and its walls and main gate, with a stair guarded by mythical serpents, have stood since the fifteenth century; at its centre rises a golden stupa about forty-five metres tall, believed to hold a Buddhist relic. Its highlight is the great open-sided Wihan Luang, built in 1476, with a low tiered timber roof on red and gilded pillars, a golden altar holding an old Buddha image, and painted wooden panels under the eaves. In another small hall is the camera obscura: a tiny hole in the door projects an upside-down image of the stupa onto a cloth, and by custom women may not enter this hall. Entry is free or a token fee for foreigners, and donations are welcome. Modest dress is expected: shoulders and knees covered, and shoes off inside the halls. It is far calmer than Chiang Mai's temples, and the light is loveliest in the morning or late afternoon. It is about twenty minutes by car from Lampang and an hour and a half from Chiang Mai, a good stop on the road between them.
An open hall from 1476.
About 45 metres inside the walls.
The stupa projected upside down.
Ko Kha district, about 18 km south-west of Lampang town
A tiny hole in one hall's door works like a camera obscura, projecting the stupa upside down onto a cloth inside.