Half to one Day. Return 52 km. Lamphun station is 2 km from the old town. Regular buses begin at Chang Phuak bus station and may be caught at the start of the old Chiang Mai - Lamphun Road near the Nawarat Bridge.)
Lamphun remains a small provincial town on H106. The quieter pace of the city makes it an attractive destination for those interested in historical culture. The old city is in the shape of an oval surrounded by lotus-filled moats and by the Kuang River on the east side.
Lamphun (formerly Haripunchai) is amongst the oldest cities in Thailand and predates Chiang Mai by several centuries. Northern Thai chronicles suggest the city of Haripunchai was founded by some Buddhist monks in 661 AD, but the actual date may have been as late as the mid-ninth century.
The chronicles tell how some Buddhist monks wished to establish a city and invited Queen Chamadevi from Lopburi to be the first ruler (a statue of the queen stands in a small park near the south-west corner of the old city moats). The city survived Lawa attacks and eventually assimilated the Lawa and other ethnic groups.
The city was part of the Mon Dvaravati civilization which developed along trade routes from the Gulf of Martaban to the Chao Phraya River basin and beyond to the north and east.
Queen Chamadevi's dynasty lasted till the mid- 11th century, when the city may have been temporarily evacuated due to a cholera epidemic. However it remained as the center of the valley until it was captured by Mangrai in 1281. Mangrai used the city as his capital for four years before seeking a better place. From the foundation of Chiang Mai in 1296, Lamphun has been dominated by its northern neighbor.
(Wat Kukut. 1 km. west on R1015 to Sanpatong. Trishaw - 20 Baht.) Two chedi that are the sole intact remains of the Dvaravati civilization in Thailand stand in the grounds of this temple.
The larger of the two chedi is a square stepped pyramid made of laterite. Known as the Mahapol Chedi (or the Suwan Chang Kot Chedi), the original chedi dates back at least to the 10th century.
It has since been enlarged and renovated. The four sides at each level contain three standing Buddha images in niches. The frames around the niches are highly decorated with stucco. The chedi at Wat Chedi Liam in Wiang Kum Kam is a copy of this design.
A second smaller octagonal chedi of similar age is known as the Ratana Chedi. It has eight standing Buddha images in the first section above its base. The adjacent modern viharn contains a mural that depicts King Viranga of the Lawa throwing a javelin towards the city.
(Inthayongyot Road, east side)
This temple is one of the most famous temples in Northern Thailand. Large lions guard the main entrance gate that faces the Kuang River to the east. A reclining Buddha image fills a small building nearby.
The temple grounds form a square with a 46 meters high chedi at it's center. The chedi is said to be built on the site of Queen Chamadevi's palace.
See also: [The Three Javelins] [Hong] [Dipterocarpus Alatus] [The Lohasimbali Hell]