November 26, 2025
Wat Phumin
Wat Phumin
I can't let you leave Nan, Thailand without showing you its most famous temple, Wat Phumin. It's famous because the building is cruciform (cross-like), which means it has four sides and four entrances. I don't know of another wat like this. Inside there are four large black Buddhas in the middle of the structure each of the four Buddhas face the cardinal directions. I think it is possibly more famous for its colorful murals on all four inside walls.
The temple was built in 1596 but it was refurbished in the late 1800's and a Thai Lue artist painted all the walls with colorful murals. His paintings portray scenes of everyday life, traditional clothing, courtship rituals as well as Buddhist Jataka tales (the life of Buddha).
There is one mural in particular of a man whispering to his wife that has caught the attention of the locals in a big way. It has become a symbol for Nan city. We saw large photos of it everywhere including in the stairway of our hotel. This painting is called, "Whisper of Love." There are others that I like better but overall the artist had a definite style and was keen to portray the relationships of men and women of the day. They are very fun murals and I wanted you to see just some of them.
I promise I will try to limit the number of temples I show from now on. I know how people get templed out. I never do because each one is different. I was a SE Asian Studies major and in particular ancient temples. I can't help being fascinated by each and every one of them.
lovebruce
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