Wat Phra Kaew Chiang Rai

Located on Trairat Road in Wiang, Wat Phra Kaew is a third-common-class royal temple and one of the oldest shrines in Chiang Rai. It has immense historical importance as it is where the Emerald Buddha or Phra Kaew Morakot idol was unearthed. The temple also houses a jade replica of the Emerald Buddha, Phra Yok Chiang Rai, installed in 1991 on a Thai Princess-Mother’s 90th birthday.

The ubosot houses the Phra Jao Lan Thong image of Buddha, where the Lord is a serene presence seated on a lotus with his eyes closed. The walls of Haw Phra Yoke, where the replica resides, bear murals depicting the journey of the original Emerald Buddha. The King of Thailand gave the temple its royal status in May 1978. While it is unclear when the temple was founded, it was originally called Wat Pa Ya, meaning Temple in the Golden Bamboo Forest after the local scenery. A lightning strike in 1434 is believed to have struck the Chedi open and revealed the presence of the Emerald Buddha. The historic deity now resides in Bangkok's famous Phra Si Rattana Satsadaram Temple. Wat Phra Kaew of Chiang Rai also houses a museum with a small selection of religious art, scriptures, objects, and secular items related to Thai culture on display.