Wat Phra That Haripunchai

THAILAND, Lamphun

Located in the center of the town, the temple is one of the oldest and most important in Thailand. It is the largest of the temples in Lamphun. It was founded in 1157 by King Athittayarat (reigned 1157–1170) to enshrine a relic of the Buddha. It has been regularly expanded and renovated, including a major renovation of many buildings in the 1920s.
The temple faces southeast. Along the central axis of the temple there are the main temple gate, main hall, and Sacred Great Relic Stupa. On either side of the central axis there are the library, gong pavilion, Hall of the Buddha’s Footprint, museum, and many other halls and small stupas. The temple has three entrance gates, and is surrounded by walls with covered walkways. The ordination hall is located outside the walls and has its own enclosure.
The Sacred Great Relic Stupa is one of the best examples of Lanna stupa architecture. According to the Jinakalamali Chronicle, the original reliquary was only 4 m high. In the early 13th century a stupa was built around it, and then a larger stupa was constructed over it in 1448, giving rise to the present gilded form with a height of about 46 m. The high base is square in layout with multiple corners. The stupa body is divided into three sections: the lowest section consists of three circular layers; the middle section is composed of three circular moldings; and the upper section is shaped like a bell. The upper part of the bell-shaped section is decorated with a ring of lotus reliefs, in between which are larger than life-size images of the walking Buddha. At the top of the stupa body there is the square harmika, followed by the spire of stacked rings. The finial consists of a nine-tier canopy cast in gold. The whole stupa below the harmika is covered in gilded copper plates. The stupa is surrounded by railings, with a golden canopy supported by a pillar at each of the four corners. There is a small shrine housing a Buddha statue on each side of the stupa.
In front of the stupa is the main hall, in which a bronze Buddha is enshrined. On each side of the main hall is the library and gong pavilion. The library is a wooden building erected on a high base and has triple-tier eaves. The two-story gong pavilion has a pyramidal hip roof which is finely decorated. The whole building is red with ornate carvings. The bronze gong suspended within the pavilion was made in 1860 and is the largest gong in Thailand.