Wat Si Luang Chae Son

Wat Si Luang Chae Son is located at 246, Moo 5, Luang Village, Chae Son Subdistrict, Mueang Pan District, Lampang Province, 52240. It is a Mahanikaya sect temple, with Phra Athikan Saokham Thammānando serving as the abbot.

 

The precise founding date of Wat Si Luang Chae Son is unknown, but according to oral tradition passed down by village elders, the temple has existed for several centuries. Some even claim it is over a thousand years old. A palm-leaf manuscript recorded by Nan Yot Tana and translated by Phra Khru Phiphat Waradet provides insight into the temple’s origins. It states that Kruba Chao Wachirapanya, together with Saen Mueang Luea Lok and local devotees, sought permission from the ruler of Lakon (modern-day Lampang) to construct a viharn at the site.

 

They then invited Kruba Yawichai from Wat Ban Tham to lead the construction. Kruba Yawichai recommended consulting Kruba Chao Asingwitak of Wat Phra Yuen in Lamphun to draw up architectural plans. After receiving the plans, construction began on Friday, the 15th waxing moon of the 6th lunar month in the northern calendar year 1219 Sakkarat, which corresponds to 1857 CE.

 

At that time, the temple was named “Wat Pa Phai,” or “Bamboo Forest Temple,” and consisted only of a viharn and a bell-shaped chedi with a twelve-cornered base, blending Lanna and Burmese architectural styles. The temple underwent its most recent major renovation in 1966, after which the Fine Arts Department officially registered it as a historical monument, prohibiting further restoration without permission.

 

The viharn of Wat Si Luang Chae Son is a brick-and-mortar structure. Originally it was an open-air pavilion, but it was later enclosed with brick walls and fitted with window openings. At the staircase leading to the viharn are stucco sculptures of mythical creatures. Inside, the main Buddha image is in the Chiang Saen style, and there is an old teakwood preaching pulpit over a hundred years old. Behind the viharn is a bell-shaped chedi covered in gold leaf. Scholars believe that the temple may date from the same period as Wat Nong Bua in Tha Wang Pha District and Wat Phumin in Nan Province, given the architectural similarities.

 

Wat Si Luang Chae Son is located in Ban Chae Son, Mueang Pan District, Lampang. If traveling from Chae Son National Park, drive toward Mueang Pan District, and there will be a junction where you turn right toward Ban Chae Son. Continue straight, passing the market; the temple will be on the right-hand side.