Wat Phra Chao Saliem Wan

Wat Phra Chao Saliem Wan is a Lanna-style temple in Lamphun’s rural Ban Hong district, built in 1941 to house a single revered image: Phra Chao Saliem Wan, a Buddha figure carved from teak and finished in gold leaf. That image, not the temple’s age, is what draws visitors here — devotees travel from across the district specifically to make merit in front of it, and it remains the compound’s focal point today.

The viharn (prayer hall) that shelters the image is built in the layered-roof northern Thai style, with carved wooden gables and gilded trim typical of Lanna temple architecture from the mid-20th century. Phra Chao Saliem Wan sits in a meditation pose at the centre of the hall, surrounded by smaller Buddha images and the usual offerings of lotus flowers, candles, and incense that Lamphun devotees bring on visits. Elsewhere in the compound stands a four-sided sala, an open pavilion built to commemorate the 25th century of Buddhism (around 1957), used for smaller ceremonies and merit-making events separate from the main hall.

Insider Tip: Ban Hong is well off the main Lamphun-Chiang Mai tourist corridor, so this temple sees almost no foreign visitors outside of local festival days — expect a genuinely quiet, unhurried visit rather than a curated one. If you’re driving the Lamphun-Li road (Highway 106) toward Li district or Doi Khun Tan, it’s a natural stop rather than a destination in its own right.

Mornings and early evenings are when the temple sees the most activity, with monks moving between the viharn and living quarters and local families arriving to pray before or after work. The rural setting means birdsong and passing motorbikes are about as loud as it gets — there’s little of the incense-and-crowd intensity of Lamphun’s larger pilgrimage sites like Wat Phra That Hariphunchai.

Dress modestly (shoulders and knees covered) and remove your shoes before entering the viharn. The temple sits just off Highway 106 at approximately the kilometre 113 marker, with a short turn into Ban Hong Luang village — a car or motorbike makes this a far easier trip than relying on public songthaew routes. If you’re touring Lamphun’s temples, pair it with Wat Phra Chao Ton Luang, another Ban Hong district temple a short drive away.