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On the north-cast corner of the Phrapokklao - Ratwithi intersection is Yupparat School, which was built on the grounds of the former palace of the kings of Chiang Mai. The wooden building that stands at the corner near the intersection is the former stable for white elephants - a symbol of power and nobility - belonging to former Chao.
The high school, which was founded in 1899, is one of Chiang Mai's oldest schools. It has been at this site since 1922 and now has nearly three thousand students. A small shrine to King Mangrai stands south on Phrapokklao Road, where it crosses Ratchadamnoen Road. The spot where King Mangrai was thought to have been struck by lightning is a few meters down a short lane just north of the intersection.
Chiang Mai has several places of historical interest that are either small or remote. You may not find them worth a visit unless you have a special interest, or happen to be nearby.
Kamphaeng Din is the Thai name for an extensive earthen rampart that protected
settlements beyond the city walls to the south and east. Phra Mekuti may have first constructed the wall and redirected local streams to form moats as an outer defense. Some remains may be seen on Kamphaeng Din Road, but other remnants are largely hidden away behind houses.
An interesting area to see them is in the lanes south of Wat Nantaram, which is famous for its herbal medicines. A walk northwest from the temple up Wualai Soi 3 takes you to Wat Muen San and the silver making area along Wualai Road.
White Elephant Terrace occupies a traffic island next to Chang Phuak bus station. Local people believe that the half-elephant figures inside the arched shelters protect Chiang Mai from enemies and demons.
The present structures were built by Kawila in 1800. However, an earlier shrine may have existed to commemorate the deeds of two retainers who carried King Saen Muang Ma to safety after his army attacked Sukhothai forces and were defeated in 1387-8. The servants were rewarded with the titles of "Lord Elephant of the Left Side/Right Side".
Khuang SinghChao Kawila built "Lion Terrace" in a similar style to "White Elephant Terrace". Surrounded by a pond, the terrace was built in 1801. The lions symbolized the revived power of Chiang Mai to deter the Burmese on the invasion route from the north. They were apparently successful, for the Burmese were never to occupy Chiang Mai again.
The Chedi stands as a traffic island near the municipal hall on Wang Sing Kham Road. It is said to contain bones; but whether the bones belong to Haw raiders, Burmese invaders, or brave defenders of Chiang Mai is uncertain. One story says it honors a Thai champion who had a contest with a Burmese champion to see who would stay underwater longer. The Thai won the day by not coming back to the surface.