Wat Chedi Luang, Chiang Mai

Wat Chedi Luang (Temple of the Big Stupa) is Tripadvisor 2014 Travelers’ Choice as the #1 attraction in Chiang Mai. It is a Buddhist temple located within the city walls, in the historic centre of Chiang Mai, Thailand. I know you are curious about the meaning of "Chedi" and "Stupa" as me, well according to wikepedia, "it is a mound-like or semi-hemispherical structure containing Buddhist relics, typically the ashes of Buddhist monks, used by Buddhists as a place of meditation". 

The main historical significance of this temple is that it housed the Emerald Buddha for a period before the relocation to Bangkok’s Wat Phra Kaew due to an earthquake which damaged the temple and the Chedi.

The construction of the temple started in the 14th century during the reign of King Saen Muang Ma, 8th ruler of the Mengral dynasty. It was initially planned to house the ashes of his father, Ku Na. The construction and expansion of the temple was continued by later kings, reaching its final form in 1475 during the reign of King Tilokaraj. The King made it the home of the Emerald Buddha, the most sacred religious treasure of Thailand. Unfortunately, due to a severe earthquake in 1545 during the reign of Queen Mahadevi the temple and the chedi was heavily damaged. 

the damaged chedi at its present state, the stone nagas (water serpents) and statues of elephants standing on guard

At its prime, the chedi measured 82 metres tall and 54 meters wide which is the largest temple during that time. After the earthquake the chedi was reduced to nearly half. In 1992, the chedi was reconstructed, financed by UNESCO and the Japanese government. The naga (water serpents) staircase on each of its faces and statues of elephants were brought back. The restoration of the chedi was however never completed, leaving it at its present state but despite its ruined state, the chedi still has several Buddha shrines and remains an active place of worship.

At present as you can see in the pictures, the Wat Chedi Luang now rises to about 60m in height and 44m wide. It has four sides, each with a monumental stairway guarded by stone nagas (mythical snakes) and Elephants  standing on guard.

the stone nagas (mythical snakes) standing on guard

the assembly hall (large viharn)

Here is the impressive large viharn (assembly hall) next to the ruined chedi. This structure was built in 1928.

entrance of the large viharn (assembly hall)

interior of the assembly hall

Impressive interior right? It has round columns supporting a high red ceiling.

The hall contains a standing Buddha known as the Phra Chao Attarot which is made of brass alloy and mortar.  The Buddha dates from the time of the temple's founder which is King Saen Muang Ma during the late 14th century.

Wat Phan Tao

Sharing the grounds of Wat Chedi Luang is another temple, Wat Phan Tao. Beautiful wooden carvings! This wooden viharn aside from the impressive wooden carvings also contains a large reclining Buddha.

Reclining Buddha

One thing I failed to take a picture of is a great Dipterocarp tree located next to the entrance. Legend has it that if this tree will fall, a great catastrophe will follow.  Well, I hope this tree will live forever!

Sources:

•    Sacred Destinations http://www.sacred-destinations.com/thailand/chiang-mai-wat-chedi-luang
•    Wikipedia  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wat_Chedi_Luang   
•    Asian Historical Architecture  http://www.orientalarchitecture.com/thailand/chiangmai/wat-chedi-luang
•   Tourism Thailand http://www.tourismthailand.org/See-and-Do/Sights-and-Attractions-Detail/Wat-Chedi-Luang

All photos used in this post are owned by the author.

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The Supertrees, Gardens by the Bay, Singapore

For sure you have heard of Superman, Supergirl and krypto the superdog? How about the Supertrees? Yap you've read that right, Supertrees! They may look like trees from the movie Avatar or a sci Fi film but these trees do have super powers, well they generate solar power, they act as air venting ducts for the conservatories of Gardens by the Bay and, they also collect rainwater! Supertrees indeed!

The Supertrees are best visited at night, their height is around 16 storeys  and they come alive with amazing display of light and sound at night. So for this post let me share my night shots of the Supertrees.

 

The Supertree on the right side of the picture above is their 50-metre Supertree-top bistro. A good place to have a sumptuous dinner amidst the panoramic views of the Gardens and Marina bay.

Can you see the thing that connects the Supertrees? That's the OCBC Skyway, for just $5 you can access the 128-metre long walkway with a height of 22-metres that connects two Supertrees at the Supertree Grove, and take in a different view of the Gardens.

The Supertrees are not 100%  man-made, they are made of four parts: reinforcement concrete core, trunk, planting panels of the living skin, and canopy. The trunk has over 162,900 plants comprising more than 200 species and varieties of bromeliads, ferns, orchids and other tropical plants.

From the background you will see the Marina Bay Sands. The Supertree Grove is accessible to the public for free. You only need to pay $5 if you want to access the skyway.

Here's us, setting up the camera for my night shots, we arrived just in time! I hope you enjoyed the photos! Till next time! Ciao!


Camera used: Lumix DMC-FZ35
Photographer: Vivi

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