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| Lamphun | ||
| province | Lamphun | |
|---|---|---|
| Residents | 12.595 (2014) | |
| height | unknown | |
no value for height on Wikidata:  | ||
| no tourist info on Wikidata: | ||
| location | ||
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Lamphun(Thai: ลำพูน) is the capital of the eponymous province in Northern Thailand.
background
Lamphun (in the local dialect: Lapun) is one of the oldest and most historic cities in Northern Thailand. It was under the old name Haripunjaya (Thai: Hariphunchai) Capital of a kingdom of the Mon, which existed from the 8th or 9th century of the Christian era, according to tradition, from the legendary Mon princess Chamadevi Lop Buri Founded. At that time, Haripunjaya was the political, economic and cultural center of what is now northern Thailand, an important hub for goods between China and Southeast Asia. Ancient Buddhist temples in a style that is otherwise rarely widespread in Thailand, such as Wat Phra That Hariphunchai and Wat Chamathewi, are evidence of this time. Today's major and well-known cities in Northern Thailand, such as Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai, however, were not founded until the 13th century.
Around 1292/93, the Tai prince Mangrai then took the wealthy city by ruse and thus helped his newly founded kingdom Lan Na, which encompassed large parts of what is now northern Thailand, to achieve a breakthrough. Lamphun lost its economic, cultural and political leadership role to Chiang Mai, just under 30 km north, and was then only the capital of a small principality or, today, a province.
getting there
| Distances | |
| Bangkok | 670 km |
|---|---|
| Chiang Mai | 25 km |
| Lampang | 73 km |
By plane
The airport Chiang Mai is just under 30 km from the city center of Lamphun.
By train
Lamphun has a train station on the northern line of the Thai Railway. There are five trains per day from Bangkok and six each from Chiang Mai and Nakhon Sawan (via Phitsanulok, Uttaradit, Lampang). The journey from Chiang Mai takes 20 minutes as planned and costs only 25 baht on the third class slow train (but significantly more in higher classes or express trains). Depending on the type of train, the journey from Bangkok takes 10-14 hours and costs between 228 and 633 baht for a seat and 483 to 1635 baht for a sleeper space. Timetable and prices.
By bus
All long-distance buses on the way between Bangkok and Chiang Mai come through Lamphun and many also stop here, so they can be used to get there. There are also buses that run from Bangkok's north Mo Chit bus station head straight for Lamphun. They usually travel overnight (departure between 8 p.m. and 8.30 p.m.) and take nine hours as planned, a ticket costs from the state-owned company [The Transport Co. Ltd.] depending on the comfort class 374 to 748.
Within northern Thailand is the company Greenbus Recommended, Lamphun serves them with the lines Chiang Mai – Lampang – Phrae (–Nan) 12–15 times a day, Chiang Mai – Lampang – Mae Sot (twice a day) and Chiang Mai – Lampang – Nakhon Sawan – Phuket (once a day) . It takes about 45 minutes to drive from Chiang Mai Bus Terminal.
A very cheap way to travel from Chiang Mai is also Songthaeos, that means shared taxis in the form of converted pickups with benches on the loading area. The Songthaeos towards Lamphun can be recognized by their blue paintwork. They drive from the old bus station Chang Phueak, Warorot Market and the Iron Bridge on the Ping River in Chiang Mai; you can also get on at any point along the road from Chiang Mai to Lamphun. The fare is 20-30 baht. White-painted minivans leave the old bus station every half hour at similar rates Chang Phueak in the north of Chiang Mai.
In the street
Lamphun is located on the well-developed national road 11 from Bangkok / Lampang to Chiang Mai. The drive from Chiang Mai (city center) takes about 40 minutes, from Lampang one hour, from Bangkok 8–9 hours pure driving time.
mobility
Tourist Attractions
- 1 Wat Phrathat Hariphunchai (วัด พระ ธาตุ หริ ภุ ญ ชัย).
Once the most important temple of the historical Mon empire Haripunjaya and to this day the most revered temple in Lamphun. It is located in the middle of the historic old town. It was donated around 1150 by King Adittaraja in order to keep a relic of the Buddha allegedly discovered by him. In the 15th century, however, it was completely redesigned under King Tilokarat of Lan Na; none of the buildings visible today dates from the original Haripunjaya period. The Suwanna Chedi is in the Mon style, but was only built in 1418, inspired by the Mahaphone Chedi of Wat Chamathewi. Especially those born in the year of the Rooster make a pilgrimage here, as the temple is associated with this zodiac sign in (northern) Thai folk beliefs.
- 2 Wat Chamathewi (or Wat Chamadevi; วัด จาม เทวี; colloquial Wat Ku Kut, วัด กู่ กุด), Th. Chamathewi (1 km northwest of the old town).This is the oldest preserved temple in the city and the most important in terms of art history. The most striking feature is the mahaphone chedi, a characteristic pyramid-shaped, 21-meter-high stupa that is said to date from the founding phase of Haripunjaya, i.e. the 7th or 8th century. The structure that can be seen today, however, probably comes from a restoration after an earthquake in 1218. On each of the five levels of the “pyramid” there are four niches on each side in which Buddha statues in the typical Mon style are located.
- 3 Wat Phra Yuen (วัด พระยืน; "Temple of the Standing Buddha") (1.5 km east of the city center, on the other side of the Kuan River).According to an inscription, the temple founded by King Kue Na in 1370 in honor of the wise monk Sumana Thera. A mondop was built around a pre-existing statue of the standing Buddha. This in turn was expanded at the beginning of the 20th century to today's chedi in Burmese pagan style.
- 4 Hariphunchai National Museum, Th. Inthayongyot (in the middle of the old town).State Museum of Culture and Art History of Haripunjaya / Lamphun, both during the Mon culture (7th to 13th centuries) and the Lan-Na period (14th to 19th centuries). Among other things, there are inscription stones on display which document the development from the Mon to the Lanna to the Thai script; an extensive collection of artfully decorated ceramics, sculptures and porcelain vessels.
activities
shop
kitchen
nightlife
accommodation
Practical advice
| Short dates | |
| Phone code | 053 |
|---|---|
| Post Code | 51000 |
trips
- Wat Ko Klang (วัด เกาะ กลาง; "Temple of the Middle Island"), T. Ban Ruean, Pa Sang District (16 km southwest of the city, on road no. 1156 towards Wiang Nong Long). Historical temple which, according to tradition, was founded in the 9th century. According to the Fine Arts Department, the structures visible today date from the 13th to 16th centuries.
- Chiang Mai. The “capital” of northern Thailand is only about 30 km from Lamphun (20 minutes by train); offers numerous sights and activities.
- 1 Thai Elephant Conservation Center, Km. 28-29 Lampang-Chiang Mai Highway, Hang Chat, Lampang 52190 (a good 40 km southeast of Lamphun on the road to Lampang). Tel.: (0)54-82-9333, Fax: (0)54-82-9334. State center for the training, examination and treatment of elephants. Attractions include the elephant washing, an elephant show and baby elephants. There are animals that can paint and an elephant orchestra. The elephant hospital can be visited and of course ridden on the back of an elephant. There are also overnight accommodations on site.Price: 200, for children 100.
literature
Web links
https://lamphuncity.go.th/ (th) - Official website of Lamphun
