Wat Saen Mueang Ma

Wat Saen Mueang Ma is located at 113 Ban Mang, Mu 4, Yuan Sub-district. It was constructed during the reign of King Rama I in approximately 1808. The ruler of Nan during that time herded the Thai Yai people from Mueang Mang in Myanmar to Chiang Muan District and named this village “Ban Mang”. He persuaded the town people to construct a temple called “Wat Mang” whose name was later changed into “Wat Saen Mueang Ma”. The distinctive point of this temple is the roof of its wihan which is layered into many tiers. The roof was decorated with Chofa, in the shape of a swan or Naga holding a crystal ball in its mouth, as well as, an adornment of colourful low-relief fretwork. All the door panels were also carved from wood, while the entrance to the wihan was made into three porticos. Each of them were created into the shape of 3 kinds of animals, believed to help protect the religion; namely, Naga, tiger, and lion or Simha. The sculptures of Naga were also decorated with the horns of deer, different from other Thai Lue temples. Moreover, inside are mural paintings depicting the lifestyles of the Thai Lue people and the main Buddha image in the Chiang Saen style of art. Within the compound of the temple is a museum hall which can be contacted at Tel. 0 5445 1399.