Name: Wat Ming Muang
Location: Nan
Date Founded: 1857
Style: Lanna
Photo dated: 26th November 2014

Wat Ming Muang is located close to the Wat Phumin on the same side of Suriyaphong Rd, further west. Its ubosot's exterior, all in white, is embellished with elegant carved white stucco while its interior is adorned with mural paintings depicting the Nan peoples' way of life, painted by present-day local artists. The Holy City Pillar is enshrined in the four-sided Thai styled pavilion in front of the ubosoth. This pillar is 3 m high, stands on a carved gilded wooden base and is topped with a four-faced Brahma, representing the four virtues of Buddhism. It is an ancient Thai totem that is still very significant. The city pillars were probably erected as a ritual centre for agrarian fertility rites in ancient Thai towns and kingdoms, in the heart of the old cities and just next to the seat of power of a king or a chief.