The temple houses an important buddha statue: the Phra Buddha Sihing which gives the temple its name. The origins of this statue are unknown but, according to legend, it was based on the lion of Shakya, a statue since lost which used to be housed in the Mahabodhi Temple of Bodh Gaya（India）. The Phra Buddha Sihing statue is supposed to have been brought, via Ceylon（present day Sri Lanka）, to Ligor（present day Nakhon Si Thammarat）and, from there, via Ayutthaya, to Chiang Mai.
Constructionon Wat Phra Singh began in 1345 when King Phayu, the fifth king of the Mangrai dynasty, who ruled the Lanna kingdom from 1336 to 1355, had a chedi built to house the ashes of his father King Kham Fu.
A Viharn and several other buildings were added a few years later and the resulting complex was named Wat Lichiang Phra. When, in 1367, the statue of Phra Buddha Singh was brought to the temple, the temple complex received its present name. During restoration works in 1925, three funerary urns were discovered inside a small chedi. It was assumed that these contained royal ashes. The urns have since been lost.
From 1578 to 1774 the Burmese ruled Lanna and in this period the temple was abandoned and came under serious disrepair. It was only when King Kawila assumed the throne as King of Chiang Mai in 1782, that the temple was restored. King Kawila had the ubosot built and the chedi enlarged. Later successors restored the Viharn Lai Kham and the elegant Ho Trai（temple library）.
The temple contains some classical Lanna architecture including the old viharn and the beautiful scripture depository as well as several impressive chedis.
The Viharn Lai Kham is one of the most interesting buildings in Chiang Mai. It was originally built in 1345 and was restored in 1772, after the Burmese left, by King Kawila. It has a famous Buddha image from which the temple gets its name as well as some fascinating murals from the 1820s.
The style of the building is pure Lanna with its multi-tiered, split roof sweeping low to the ground. Nagas are set along the bargeboards and chofa finials are set at the apexes.
The entrance is guarded by a pair of nagas and a lion figure in plain style. The porch has two windows with teak bars and a door with ornamented moldings above the lintel and on each side.
However, the main point of focus is the famous Buddha image for which the building was originally constructed to house——the Phra Buddha Sihing statue from which the temple takes its name. The 14th century image had its head stolen in 1922 and has been replaced by a copy.
The image is in the classical Chiang Saen or Lanna style with fingers each of different lengths. On either side are two other Buddha images in similar style. Behind the principal image is an alcove which leads to a small tunnel to the Kulai Chedi.
The famous murals which line the walls date from around the 1820s and were created by a Chinese artist on the order of Prince Dhammalanka, the ruler of Chiang Mai. Some of the murals are damaged but over half of the pictures can still be seen and depict many colourful scenes from the Jataka and Buddhist texts.
The murals are some of the best examples of Lanna art and are not only beautiful to look at but also give a fascinating glimpse into the way of life, customs and dress of the Lanna people around this time.
Unfortunately, the murals, despite restoration, are quite badly decayed partly due to the practice of painting on dry instead of wet plaster, although most of the figures in murals can be seen at least in part.
Two well known folk tales are depicted in the murals: the story of Sang Thong, the prince born in a conch shell on the north wall, and the tale of Suwanna Hongse and the Heavenly Phoenix on the south wall.
笔者注：原文存在疑点。上文（斜体标注处）称北墙壁画为“海螺壳里出生的王子Sang Thong的故事”，南墙壁画为“Suwanna Hongse和Heavenly Phoenix的故事”；而在下文（斜体标注处）称“Sang Thong的故事”覆盖在南墙上，北墙描绘的是“Suwanna Hongse的故事”，两处内容自相矛盾。个人观察壁画得出结论：“Sang Thong的故事”画面位于北墙，“Suwanna Hongse的故事”画面位于南墙，故将下文斜体标注处添加删除线。
此外，墙壁画面上方有一圈“飞天”环绕，应是紧那罗（Kinnara）和紧那利（Kinnari）的形象：
（north wall）
The tale of Sang Thong, the prince born in a golden conch shell, is one of the most popular stories in Thailand and known by just about everyone. It follows popular themes such as good triumphant over evil, and hidden beauty under apparent ugliness.
The tale begins with Prince Sang Thong being born to the first wife of the king in a conch shell which unexplained event causes mother and child to be ostracized from the palace.
The prince is sent to work in a house where the owner, who becomes his adoptive mother, is really an ogress who devours people and secretly keeps their bones buried in the gardens. The prince manages to escape by disguising himself as a negrito and steals the magic wand and flying shoes of the ogress.
Later, the King of Damon seeks husbands for his seven daughters and to the horror of the royal palace his youngest daughter Rochana choses the negrito who is Prince Sang Thong in disguise. Both are banished from the palace and told they can never return and they wander the countryside.
The couple learn that the king of Samon is faced with the loss of his kingdom and a polo match is arranged which, if he wins, his kingdom will be saved although he is bound to lose.
Just as it seems that the king’s team is about to be defeated, Sang Thong still in disguise, joins the game and with the help of Indra in heaven, miraculously turns certain defeat into victory.
The kingdom is saved and Prince Sang Thong reveals himself as a royal personage in his golden splendour. The couple are forgiven and accepted back into the palace and live happily ever after.
