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Thailand: Architectural drawing of presumed original form of Chiang Mai’s Chedi Luang before the 1545 earthquake, showing fissure caused by earthquake where the original chedi broke and sheared away. View of east side, seen from main entrance

Wat Chedi Luang translates literally from the Thai as ‘Monastery of the Great Stupa’. Construction of the temple began at the end of the 14th century when the Lan Na Kingdom was in its prime. King Saen Muang Ma (1385-1401) intended it as the site of a great reliquary to enshrine the ashes of his father, King Ku Na (1355-85). Today it is the the site of the Lak Muang or City Pillar.

The great stupa, once the tallest man-made structure in the pre-modern (20th century) Lan Na Kingdom, was seriously damaged in an earthquake in 1545, losing almost half its height, as reported in the 'Chiang Mai Chronicle'.

Chiang Mai (meaning "new city"), sometimes written as "Chiengmai" or "Chiangmai", is the largest and most culturally significant city in northern Thailand. King Mengrai founded the city of Chiang Mai in 1296, and it succeeded Chiang Rai as capital of the Lanna kingdom.