Lanna Wooden Architecture

Wat Chiang Man is distinguished by its oldest structure, the Chedi Chang Lom, where fifteen life-sized, brick-and-stucco elephants appear to carry the golden, square-based stupa on their backs. Founded in twelve ninety-six by King Mangrai,…

The Lanna Folklife Centre is a stately, white two-story building located directly across from the Three Kings Monument in the heart of Chiang Mai’s Old City. Its colonial-style architecture, completed in nineteen thirty-five, marks a…

Wat Inthakhin Sadue Muang is distinguished by its ornate, dark teak viharn, which stands in stark contrast to the surrounding city with its black-lacquered wood and intricate gold-leaf carvings. This temple, located in the heart of the old…

Wat Phan Tao is distinguished by its dark, weathered teakwood assembly hall, a structure that stands in sharp contrast to the more gilded temples nearby. While many religious sites in Chiang Mai are built of stone or brick, this hall is…

The most striking feature of Wat Chedi Luang is the massive, truncated brick pagoda at the center of the temple grounds. Once reaching a height of eighty meters, this structure was the tallest in the Lanna Kingdom when its construction…

The Lanna Architecture Center is housed within a traditional teak mansion known as Khum Chao Burirat. You can identify the building by its distinct, dark-stained wooden exterior and the layered rooflines that define much of the historic…

Wat Prasat is marked by the presence of a short tunnel that physically connects its prayer hall, or viharn, to the chedi sitting directly behind it. This configuration is rare in the architecture of the region. Visitors typically see the…

Wat Phra Singh Woramahawihan is defined by its giant, gold-plated stupa, where stone elephants appear to emerge from the masonry around its base. Founded in thirteen forty-five by King Phayu of the Mangrai Dynasty, the temple was…