Wat Phra Kaeo Don Tao

There's two temples in one here – each with a story to tell. Wat Phra Kaeo Don Toa was built in the 14th or 15th century with a combination of styles. It’s the town’s biggest temple, and used to house the priceless Emerald Buddha (actually made of jade) back in the 15th century. The more interesting story is next door in Wat Suchadaram. A legend tells the story of Mae Suchada giving a watermelon to a monk in the midst of a famine. When the monk opened the watermelon, he found a large green gem inside, which turned into a Buddha image. Villagers beheaded Suchada, thinking she and the monk were getting a little too friendly. When they realized the mistake, they built the temple in her honor. It feels a little offbeat, partially since Lampang has a lot of temples around. If you're not templed out by this point in your trip it's worth 45 minutes to an hour of time.