Vihara Lai Kham, A Sanctuary of Serene Beauty and Ancient Murals

Singharat Road, Chiang Mai

4.2

Introduction

Lai Ka Monastery is located inside the Pashin Temple and is a temple built to enshrine the Lion Buddha. It is constructed with traditional teak wood and features three-tiered eaved roofs and exquisite gable porches, representing the epitome of Lanna culture and Northern Thai architecture. Lai Ka Temple is also renowned for its hand-painted murals, which depict ancient Thai literary works describing Lanna life and Burmese court conditions. At Lai Ka Monastery, you can see the iconic statues of the famous Buddhist fables "Prince Sang Thong of the Golden Conch" and "Suwannahong, the Paradise Bird," adorned with highly decorative gold patterns, creating a solemn and magnificent atmosphere. Recently, a Chinese artist has carried out restoration work on the left mural. The entire monastery appears even more solemn and majestic against the backdrop of the blue sky and white clouds.