Wat Chang Khong () is a Buddhist temple in Chang Khlan, Mueang Chiang Mai district, Chiang Mai province, Thailand. It is associated with a community of gong makers, from which the temple takes its name.
History
Accounts date the construction of the temple to 1900 BE (1357 CE) and associate it with gong makers who migrated from Chiang Saen during the early Rattanakosin period. A local account states that the area was formerly known as Wat Si Phun To and that the temple was later rebuilt by the gong-making community and named after their occupation.
Other accounts associate the temple with the reign of King Kawila, when the gong-making community was brought from Chiang Saen to Chiang Mai. It was restored in 1848 during the reign of Mahotaraprathet.
Architecture
The temple has two chedis. The older chedi is a prasat-style structure and stands outside the present temple grounds. The chedi within the temple is a round Lanna-style structure with a square base, a round bell-shaped body and an umbrella finial. Stucco lions in a Burmese style are placed at its four corners.
The vihara is a Lanna-style building with a multi-tiered roof. Its gable has a three-headed elephant motif at the centre, together with figures of deities and vegetal designs.
The old ordination hall stands outside the present temple grounds and is no longer in use.
The temple's scripture hall (ho trai) is a two-storey building. It was built in 1903 and has a Chinese-style structure, with stucco and carved-wood decoration. Its architecture combines Lanna and Burmese styles, and the upper floor contains mural paintings.
Murals
The mural paintings in the scripture hall depict the story of Prince Suwat and Nang Bua Kham, derived from the Paññāsa Jātaka. The painter is not identified, but the work is considered likely to have been produced by local craftsmen.
References