This temple is
about 8 kilometres to the east of town on Highway No. 1022. A
major religious site of the province, it was built since the
time of Sukhothai. The 33 metre-tall Chiang Saen-style Chedi
houses a Holy Relic. It was built of bricks and covered with
bright brass sheets. The name of the temple refers to fine silk
woven in Sip Song Panna (in southern China) which was first used
to wrap around the Chedi when the temple was first constructed.
There is a fair celebrating the Chedi in March every year.
The City
Pillar Shrine of Phrae, situated on Khum Deom Road in town
centre, features an inscription stone with ancient Thai scripts
of the Sukhothai period describing the construction of a temple
in the town.
About 9
kilometres to the south of town on Highway No. 101 in Sung Men
district is the Hua Dong Market. It is the centre of products
made from wood and rattan, mostly household furnitures and
decorative items.
About 12
kilometres out of town, and with a further 6 kilometres after a
right turn, is the Phae Mueang Phi , a wide area with no large
trees. Because of subsidence and erosion of the soil, the harder
elements remain and are formed into the shapes of exotic-looking
mushrooms.
The Phraya
Chaiyabun Memorial is about four kilometres from the Phrae
townhall on Highway No. 101. Governor of the town during
1897-1902, he was slain by rebelling Shan tribesmen when he
refused to cede the town to them. After the rebellion was put
down by government troops, King Rama V ordered a memorial
erected in his honors.
Just one
kilometre from the townhall on Yantrakit Koson Road is Wat Chom
Sawan, a Burmese architectural style temple. The building which
combines the hall for conducting religious rituals and monk's
living quarters is beautifully decorated both in its interiors
and exteriors.
The
over-lapping roofs are adorned with fine fretworks. Antiquities
found here include marble Buddha statues, statues made of woven
bamboos coated with lacquer, and Buddha statues made from ivory,
as well as ivory scripture slabs with Burmese scripts.
Wat Luang on
Kham Lue Road in town is an ancient and principal temple built
at the same time Phrae was established. Several restoration
works have taken place. Some of its major features include the
Vihan and Chiang Saen-style Chedi enshrining a Holy Relic
brought over from Myanmar. Others are the museum housing various
antiquities including several 500-year-old Buddha statues and an
ancient Lanna-style wooden structure.
Wat Phra Bat
Ming Mueang, located on Charoen Nakhon Road near the townhall,
was built in 1955 by combining two ancient temples. There is an
old Chedi containing a replica of the Holy Footprint inside.
Three
kilometres from Phra That Cho Hae is Wat Phra That Chom Chaeng,
some 10 kilometres from town. Built in the year 788, the name of
the builder was unknown. The golden Chedi is 29 metres tall and
enshrines a Holy Relic. There is also a museum of rare ancient
relics.
Located on Nam
Khu Road next to the city moats is Wat Sa Bo Kaeo, a temple with
several exotic Burmese artistic-styled structures and Buddha
statues. It is also where Burmese monks who travel to Thailand
to study the Buddhist scripture stay.
To the west of
Wat Luang is Wat Phra Non near the site of the old city walls.
Some of the architectural works include the Chiang Saen-style
Ubosot with narrow openings to let in light instead of normal
windows. The lintel is made of wood with graceful designs. The
eaves over the Vihan are all fretted, a symbol of northern
architecture. Inside is a 9 metre-long plaster Reclining Buddha.
The Folklore
Museum, in the same compound as the Ban Fai garden
restaurant three kilometres from town on the Phrae-Sung Men
road, is made up of several buildings and wooden structures
displaying exhibits on the local way of life. The different
types of wooden houses demonstrate the different statuses of the
local people. There are also market and shophouses of the past.
Ban Pong Si at
Tambon Thin of Mueang district is a village which collects and
exchanges second-hand household utensils for daily use. It also
sells silver products.
Ban Rong Fong
specialises in making metal agricultural tools using traditional
production method. The village can be reached by taking Highway
No.101 (Phrae-Nan) with a turn into Highway No. 1101 leading to
Rong Fong.
About 4
kilometres away on Highway No. 101 (Phrae-Nan) is Ban Thung
Hong, a village noted for the making of products made from Mo
Hom material. It is a local cotton fabric dyed in blue which is
used in making native and modern wears.
