Wat Phra That Doi Khao Khwai Kaeo, Buddhist temple in Rop Wiang, Thailand.
Wat Phra That Doi Khao Khwai Kaeo is a Buddhist temple in the Rop Wiang district of Thailand, built around a golden Lanna-style chedi that rises on a square base with three stacked tiers. A riverside garden with walking paths runs alongside the religious structures.
The temple was founded in 1785, making it one of the older religious sites in the area. In October 1980, royal permission was granted to formally mark out its boundaries as a protected religious site.
The partially buried Buddha statue called Phra Phut draws worshippers who come to leave offerings and pray at its base. Around the chedi, metal panels display all twelve animals of the Chinese zodiac, pointing to the long-standing presence of Chinese communities in this part of northern Thailand.
The temple can be visited any day of the week, and both the religious buildings and the riverside garden are easy to reach on foot. Visitors should wear clothing that covers the shoulders and knees, as is standard when entering Buddhist temples in Thailand.
The temple's name includes the word "Khwai Kaeo", meaning "crystal buffalo", which refers to a local legend about a white buffalo said to have led people to the site where the chedi now stands. This story gives the place a name that is more tied to an animal than to the usual references to hills or relics found in similar temple names across the region.
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