Wat Chedi Luang

The chedi at Wat Chedi Luang was begun in the 1390s and finished in the 1470s at a height variously given as eighty or more metres, making it the tallest structure in the Lanna kingdom. In 1545 an earthquake brought down the upper section - one account also blames cannon fire during a later Burmese occupation - and what stands is the massive lower half, around sixty metres of brick and laterite with elephant sculptures at the base and empty niches where images stood. The Emerald Buddha, now in Bangkok, was housed here for eighty-four years in the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries; a jade replica sits in the eastern niche, installed in 1995. A partial restoration in the 1990s funded by UNESCO and Japan was criticised for using modern forms where the original was unknown. The city pillar shrine, Sao Inthakhin, stands in the grounds, and women are not permitted into it.

What you actually see

• The broken chedi - around sixty metres of brick, half its original height.
• The elephant sculptures - around the base, partly restored.
• The Emerald Buddha niche - with a jade replica installed in 1995.
• Sao Inthakhin - the city pillar shrine, closed to women.

When to go

November to February. Late afternoon light on the brick is best. The Inthakhin festival in May brings the city pillar rituals. One to two hours covers it.

Honest expectations

Small charge to enter. The city pillar shrine excludes women, which is enforced. The 1990s restoration is visibly modern in places and is contested. Temple dress code applies.

Nearby

Wat Phra Singh is west; Wat Chiang Man is north within the old city walls.