Chiang Mai, Thailand
From both historical and architectural standpoints, this temple, also known as the Seven Spire Monastery, is considered the most important in Chiang Mai.
Founded by King Tiloka in 1455 and modeled after the Bodgaya monument where Buddha attained enlightenment, Wat Jed Yod served as a monastery and center of Lanna Thai Buddhism for several centuries. In 1457, Tiloka convened the Eight Buddhist Council here to commemorate the 2,000th anniversary of the Buddhist ear. Subsequent kings covered the temple with profusion of gold ornamentation, tragically stripped by the Burmese in 1556. Mounted on the walls of the small but beautiful seven-spired Mon-Burmese bot are 12 stucco figures. As unified ensembles, they form the finest stucco figures in Thailand.
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