A royal Lanna foundation
The Chiang Mai heritage record dates the temple to 1345, when King Pha Yu built it and a chedi for the ashes of his father, King Kham Fu. It was first known as Wat Phra Chiang and later as Wat Li Chiang Phra.
Wat Phra Singh
Wat Phra Singh is one of Chiang Mai's defining Lanna temples. Its important buildings, the Phra Phuttha Sihing and the murals of Lai Kham Viharn make it a place to read northern Thai art as well as to worship.
The Phra Singh image and Lai Kham Viharn
The temple took its familiar name after the Phra Phuttha Sihing was brought to Chiang Mai and installed here. Lai Kham Viharn contains Lanna murals showing Buddhist stories alongside scenes of local clothing, customs and everyday life. Treat the complex as an active temple and check current arrangements before relying on ceremony or access details.