If you have a chance to visit Thailand, Nong Bua Temple is a must stop. Nong Bua Temple is one of Thailand’s most important legacies. It located around 45 kilometers from Nan city in Tambon Pakha on 1080 Nan-Pua Road, which is a highway.
According to archeologists, Nong Bua Temple was actually located around 500 meters from its present location near the Nong Bua swamp. However, the remains of the old temple no longer exist. The temple was later constructed at its present location and it was registered by the Religion Department, which was established by Monk Sunanta and the locals in 1772.
The temple is constructed in the Thai Lanna style of architecture. It is considered to be quite a rarity as architecture like this is hardly seen these days. The walls of the temple are decorated with beautiful murals but unfortunately not much is known about the history of this beautiful temple. All the information that is present is based on the stories told by the elders of the village.
It is believed that murals in the temple were created by an artist named Thid Bua Phan, who was from Laos. The artist created the paintings on request from the Nan king and he was assisted by a monk and a soldier. It is estimated to be around 100 to 142 years old.
The details in the murals and painting estimated experts to calculate the age of the temple. Some paintings show a steam boat and Caucasian soldiers; and we know from historical documents that the first steam arrived from Europe during the reign of King Rama IV.
