Wat Phra That Chao Meng

Wat Phra That Chao Meng, picturesquely located on a hill, is situated 3 km (2 mi.) south-east of the town of Nan on the other side of the Menam Nan. It is said that Buddha himself visited this place and prophesied that relics would be found at the site and that a temple built to house them. Two wide paths, lined with nagas, lead up to the wat's entrances, which was founded in about 1300 and renovated in 1476. The 56-m (184-ft) high chedi is covered with gold-plated copper sheets, while its immediate surroundings are decorated with gold-plated copper canopies, small ornamental towers and statues of lions. The shape of the wiharn's roof is clearly Laotian in style.