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Wat Chiang Yeun (วัดเชียงยืน)
is a Buddhist temple in the northern Thai town of Chiang Rai. Both its ubosot
(ordination hall) and wihaan (prayer hall) are erected in a reddish-brown colour
mixed with parts of brown laterite, especially at the windows and in the ubosot
also at the doors, and overall adorned with contrasting golden embellishment in
typical Lan Na style. On each corner, the ordination hall has a large statue of
one of the Si Tian Wang, i.e. the ‘Four Heavenly Kings’, one for each of the
cardinal directions of the world, normally typically found at the entrances of
Taoist and Mahayana Buddhist temples, and here depicted in a rather Thai style.
The interior of the ubosot is richly decorated with colourful murals with scenes
from Buddhism, as well as depictions of Thai and regional traditional festivals.
The principal Buddha image in the bot, as well as some lesser Buddha statues on
his sides, are all gilded and seated in the maravichaya pose, while adjacent to
the main altar is also a white Buddha statue cut from marble in the same pose,
while on the opposite side, at the end of the elevated row of seats reserved for
monks, is a wax statue of Phra Kruh Methangkon (เมธังกร), a late famous Buddhist
monk from Phrae who was a thera, i.e. a senior Buddhist monk who has been more
than ten years in the priesthood, and who as a teacher was instrumental in
bringing about important reforms into the religious and secular education system
of temple schools. Adjacent and to the south of the ubosot is a small pavilion
dedicated to Kruh Bah Khamlah Sangwaroh (คำหล้า สังวโร), another great thera
monk of Lan Nah, who restored many important relics. This pavilion, with a naga
(mythological snake)
staircase, houses both a wax image and a bronze statue of this important monk of
the past. During our visit and shown near the end of the video we met a monk who
was in the process of making a chat (ฉัตร), i.e. a multi-layered umbrella
normally used as a symbol of royalty or honour but which is also typically
placed over holy objects, such as Buddha statues.
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