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Wat Phrathat Yoi Hong Nong Daeng, Mae Chrim, Nan. Wat Phra That Yoi Hong is located atop Mount Nanthaburi Noi, to the southwest of Wat Ban Phrom in Nong Daeng Subdistrict, Mae Charim District, Nan Province. This temple is not only a revered sacred site but also a valuable learning center for Lanna architecture. It is an important place of worship for the people of Mae Charim District and visitors from elsewhere.

 

The chedi (stupa) known as Phra That Yoi Hong is situated on the peak of Mount Nanthaburi Noi. According to local oral tradition, the construction of the stupa dates back to approximately 1714 BE (1171 CE), or the year 633 of the Chulasakarat calendar.

 

The legend tells that before the stupa was built, a golden swan (or hong) carrying a ceremonial finial—believed to resemble the beam scale used in ancient times—circled the mountaintop three times before releasing the finial onto the peak. After releasing it, the swan flew off westward but returned again, circling once more before disappearing.

 

Shortly after the swan’s departure, a great storm arose with torrential rain and thunder lasting three full days and nights. When the storm subsided, a herd of approximately 100 wild elephants came and trampled the ground at the mountaintop until it was flattened. They continued to roam the area surrounding the peak, a place that villagers have since referred to as Lan Chang or “Elephant Field.”

 

Following this, a highly revered monk named Phra Khru Ma Dlom, known for his strict discipline and spiritual leadership, gathered a group of local elders and devout villagers those who had committed to the observance of the Buddhist precepts and led them to the mountaintop. There, they discovered the ceremonial finial resting atop a termite mound. They decided to construct a small chedi to enshrine and protect the sacred object and named the site Phra That Yoi Hong.

 

Later, in the year 1764 BE (1221 CE), or Chulasakarat 683, a revered monk known as Phra Khru Phariyawongsai traveled from Kengtung in present-day Myanmar to the area. Alongside a local leader, Muen Phala Thao Phawang Pho Ai Kham Tun, and many disciples and faithful villagers in Mae Charim, they undertook the construction of a larger stupa, measuring approximately seven wa (about 14 meters) in width.

 

After the completion of the new stupa, it was plastered and overlaid with sheets of gold leaf (thong khao plaeng). During this process, a strong wind swept away one sheet of gold leaf, which landed on a nearby hill near Ban Nam Phang. Villagers who found it believed it to be sacred and built a small chedi on the spot to enshrine the fallen gold leaf. This second structure has since been known as Chedi Kham Plaeng (the Golden Leaf Chedi), and it remains a place of reverence to this day.