An atmospheric provincial capital, Lampang makes a great day or overnight trip from Chiang Mai.
Lampang offers relaxing riverside hangouts, horse-drawn carriages and the sumptuous temple of Wat Phra That Lampang Luang. A tour around town in a horse-drawn carriage costs ฿80-120. They generally take two routes, the cheaper one takes about 20 minutes, the more expensive one 45 minutes or alternatively ฿120 per hour. There’s some decent accommodation and a chance to indulge in a leisurely lunch at one of the great riverside restaurants. The tourist office (Boonyawat Rd, in the front of the police station, 1st floor, T054-218823) has good maps and brochures. The airport is on the south edge of town, off Prabhat Road, and the bus station is on Route 1, just east of the railway line and a 15-minute walk to the town centre. The railway station is on the west side of town, at the end of Surain Road. Saamlors charge ฿10 for trips around town or ฿50 per hour to hire. Songthaews run routes around town (although these are flexibly interpreted); the rop muang or rop wiang (‘around town’) are the most useful (฿10 anywhere in town).
Established in the seventh-century Dvaravati period, Lampang prospered as a trading centre, with a wealth of ornate and well-endowed wats. Rebuilt in the 19th century as a fortified wiang (a walled city), it became an important centre for the teak industry with British loggers making this one of their key centres. The influence of the Burmese is reflected in the architecture of some of the more important wats; a number still have Burmese abbots.
Wat Phra Kaeo Don Tao (฿10) and its ‘sister’ Wat Chadaram are to be found on Phra Kaeo Road, north across the Rachada Phisek Bridge. Wat Phra Kaeo housed the renowned Emerald Buddha (the Phra Kaeo, now in Wat Phra Kaeo, Bangkok) for 32 years during the 15th century. This royal temple is said to be imbued with particular spiritual power and significance, largely because of its association with the Phra Kaeo. The ceilings and columns of the 18th-century viharn are carved in wood and are intricately inlaid with porcelain and enamel. In the compound, there is also a Burmese-style chapel (probably late 18th century) and a golden chedi. Next door, Wat Chadaram contains the most attractive building in the whole complex: a small, intimate, well-proportioned, wooden viharn.
Wat Chedi Sao (0800-1700), the ‘temple of the 20 chedis’, is 3 km northeast of the town, 1 km off the Lampang–Jae Hom road at Ban Wang Moh. A large white chedi is surrounded by 19 smaller ones, and a strange assortment of concrete animals and monks. The most important Buddha image here is a gold, seated image cast in the 15th century. Its importance stems both from its miraculous discovery – by a local farmer in his rice field in 1983 – and from the fact that it is said to contain a piece of the Lord Buddha’s skull in its head. To reach the wat, walk over the bridge to the junction of Jhamatawee and Wangkhon roads and hail a saamlor for ฿5.
Wat Sri Chum (Tippowan Rd, aka Sri Chum Rd, 0700-1830, ฿10) is a beautiful wat, constructed 200 years ago and regarded as one of the finest Burmese-style wats in Thailand. Tragically, the richly carved and painted viharn was destroyed by fire in 1993. The compound exudes an ambience of peaceful meditation, although it is in urgent need of funds to complete restoration.
Regular buses from Nawarat Bridge or from the Arcade terminal and trains connect with Chiang Mai (2 hrs) while local transport is provided by the town’s horse-drawn carriages....
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