Near Fang, about 1.5hrs drive northwest of Chiang Mai

Tags:   Rice paddies evening light

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Three young monks pose in the replica fossil jaws of the prehistoric shark Megalodon at Chiang Mai zoo & aquarium. I have to say, this one of the best aquariums I've been to. If you ever go to Chiang Mai, make sure you pay a visit.

Tags:   Chiang Mai aquarium monk Megalodon

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Wat Phan Tao has a beautiful viharn, a majestic structure that is today one of the few remaining all-wood (teek) buildings in Chiang Mai. The viharn was originally the ho kham which mean the palace (or literally, the "gilded hall") of Chiang Mai's king, Chao Mahawong, who ruled from 1846 to 1854. This magnificent building was reassembled here and today functions as a monastery.

Tags:   Chiang Mai temples Thailand

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inside the beautiful viharn of Wat Phan Tao

Tags:   Chiang Mai temples Thailand

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The construction of the temple started in the 14th century, when King Saen Muang Ma planned to bury the ashes of his father there. After 10 years of building time it was left unfinished, later to be continued after the death of the king by his widow. Probably due to stability problems it took until mid-15th century to be finished during the reign of king Tilokaraj. It was then 82 m high and had a base diameter of 54 m, at that time the largest building of all Lanna. In 1468, the Emerald Buddha was installed in the eastern niche. In 1545, the upper 30 m of the structure collapsed after an earthquake, and shortly thereafter, in 1551, the Emerald Buddha was moved to Luang Prabang.

Tags:   Thailand Chiang Mai sky temple

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