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Lamphun Province
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The old 100 years Sap Trees (Yang tress) between Lamphun and Chiang Mai Road
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- Lamphun formerly Hariphunchai, is another historical sites. The town was founded in the year 1663 and the first ruler was a Queen called Chammathewi. This charming province is also noted for its beautiful women and tasty longans.
- With an area of 4,506 sq.kms., the province has 7 Amphoes namely: Muang, Pa Sang, Ban Hong, Mae Tha, Li, Thung Hua Chang and Ban Thi. The town is about 670 kilometers from Bangkok by car.
- Lamphun is south of Chiang Mai, 26 kilometres (16 miles) away, Lamphun makes a most pleasant excursion along a smooth, winding road lined with yang tress, tall and broad-leafed. The road also passes through Amphoe Sarapee, once the
site of Kun Kam, a town built by King Mengri before he built Chiang Mai.
Wat Phrathat Hariphunchai
- Tourist Attractions and Places of Interest :
Ku Kut Pagoda or Wat Chamma Thewi (Suwan Changkot Chedi)
This monastery was built around A.D. 755 by the Khmer artisans. The pagoda structure is of the square Buddha Gaya characteristics as seen in India.
Three standing Buddha images, in the attitudes of blessing are enshrined on each level of the pagoda base of each side totaling 15 images for one side of five levels,
grand totaling 60 Buddha images around the pagoda. Relics of Queen Chammathewi, the first ruler of Hariphunchai, are housed inside the pagoda.
The pagoda top was originally covered with gold but later, was broken and disappeared thus giving ris to the name "Ku Kut" or Pagoda without top.
Hariphunchai National Museum
Hariphunchai National Museum which houses numerous Lanna antiques found in the region. The museum is open to public everyday except Monday, Tuesday and official holidays from 09.00-16.00.
Tak Pha Buddha Footprints
The footprints are located on the top of a small hill in the area of Tambon Makok, Amphoe Pa Sang, 16 kms. from the township area. The legend says that Lord Buddha left his footprints
during his visit to that locality for Law a tribal people to pay their homages to in lieu of he himself. He also dried his suffron robe on the cliff where one, at present, can see a mark like a piece of
suffron robe being dried there thus originating the name of Tak Pha Buddha Footprints or Drying Suffron Robe Buddha Footprints.
Annual celebration takes place on the eighth day of wanning moon of the sixth lunar month of every year when inhabitants of Lamphun and neighbouring provinces flock to the annual fair.
Doi Khun Tan National Park
Doi Khun Tan is located on a mountain range bordering on both Lampang and Lamphun Provinces. There is a 1,362 meter long tunnel, regarded the longest in Thailand, for railroad underneath the mountain.
There are accommodations, which belong to the Royal State Railway of Thailand, a missionary party and the Royal Forestry Department, on top of Doi Khun Tan.
Langan Fair
This fair, held in August every year, features a contest to judge the best fruit and select Miss Lamyai (langan) for each year.