Wat Phra That Phanom

That Phanom, on the Mekong, is about 76 km (47 mi.) south of Nakhon Phanom. Its great attraction is the prang of the Wat Phra That Phanom on the west bank of the river and built around 900 although subsequently frequently restored. It contains a relic of the Buddha, reputed to be a collar-bone. The first building on this site, 8 m (26 ft) high, was put up by five kings of the Si Gotapura kingdom eight years after the death of Buddha. Around 1614, during the Lan Chang period, the temple received new sides and a wall.

In 1690/92 the prang assumed something approaching its present form when the monk Phra Khru Luang Phonsamek raised its height to 47 m (154 ft) and added various forms of decoration and the golden canopy on the spire. The sculpture and ornamental flowers on the sides date from the Siam period around 1901. The prang was restored by the Fine Arts Department in 1941 and left at its present height of 57 m (187 ft). The temple was closed in 1975 when heavy rains caused it to cave in, and the relic was temporarily housed elsewhere.