Visit Wat Phra Kaew (Chiang Rai)

There are many temples called Wat Phra Kaew in Thailand. They all have in common to have hosted one time or another the Emerald Buddha, the most revered statue in Thailand which is today in Wat Phra Kaew in Bangkok. This is in Wat Phra Kaew in Chiang Rai that the statuette was discovered in 1434 when a bolt of lighting hit an old Chedi that collapsed letting appear the famous Phra Kaew Mokarot Buddha image. The jade statue(yes, it is not really emerald) stayed in several places including Wat Phra Kaew Don Tao in Lampang and Vientiane in Laos before staying in Bangkok.
The main building of the temple is Chiang Saen style. It houses Phra Chao Lan Thong, a beautiful 700 years old bronze sitting Buddha image in palawa style. At its left, there is a small two floors museum whith many statues and objects and behind theordination hall, there is a little golden chedi. Completely at the back of Wat Phra Kaew temple, stands the Ubosatha Hall, a wooden building that houses the Phra Yok Chiang Rai, a slightly different copy of original Emerald Buddha and whose mural pantings tell the story of the Emerald Buddha.