Wat Pra That Lampang Luang is a Lanna-style Buddhist temple in Lampang

Lampang

Lampang, also called Nakhon Lampang to differentiate from Lampang Province, is the third largest town in northern Thailand and capital of Lampang Province and the Lampang district. Traditional names for Lampang include Wiang Lakon and Khelang Nakhon. The city is still growing rapidly as trading...

 in Lampang Province

Lampang Province

Lampang is one of the northern provinces of Thailand. Neighboring provinces are Chiang Rai, Phayao, Phrae, Sukhothai, Tak, Lamphun and Chiang Mai. The old name of Lampang is Khelang Nakhon.-Geography:...

, Thailand

Thailand

Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...

.

Etymology

The first element, prathat, means Buddha relic (from phra meaning monk and that meaning essence). The second element, Lampang

Lampang

Lampang, also called Nakhon Lampang to differentiate from Lampang Province, is the third largest town in northern Thailand and capital of Lampang Province and the Lampang district. Traditional names for Lampang include Wiang Lakon and Khelang Nakhon. The city is still growing rapidly as trading...

, is the name of a location in Thailand. the third element, luang, means great. Altogether, a loose translation is Temple of Lampang's Great Buddha Relic.

Significance

The temple is said to enshrine a relic of the Buddha. Such relics are typically bones and ashes believed to be gathered after the Buddha's cremation. The relic is installed in the main chedi

Stupa

A stupa is a mound-like structure containing Buddhist relics, typically the remains of Buddha, used by Buddhists as a place of worship....

 of the temple.

History

There are several bullet holes on the railing of the temple, reputed to be fired by legendary folk hero Nan Thipchang, and ancestors of the House of Chao Ched Ton (Seven Princes) which ruled Lanna as a Siamese Vassal during the Thonburi and Early-Mid Ratanokosin eras.

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