Wat Phrathat Hariphunchai is a first class royal temple, one of only fifteen outside Bangkok. The temple's earliest origins were in 897 when the then king of Hariphunchai is said to have built a stupa (now the central stupa) to house a hair of the Buddha. The present compound, founded by Hariphunchai King Athitayarai, dates from 1044. The temple was first rebuilt in 1443 by King Tilokaraja of Lanna kingdom Chiang Mai. The temple's pyramid-shaped Chedi Suwanna was built in 1418. In the 1930s temple renovations were made by the northern Thai monk Khru Ba Sriwichai.

The scale of this temple complex is clear from the number of structures within :
1) The Grand Assembly Hall (Viharn Luang)
2) Tripitaka Tower (Hor-Dhamma)
3) Sinaeru Mountain
4) South-west Corner (Moom Horadee). City Naval Hall (Sadue Mueang Viharn). Geruda-riding (Rahu Song Khrut)
5) The Buddha Hall
6) The Hall of Phrabat Si Roi (Buddha’s footprints)
7) Wat Phrathat Hariphunchai Museum
8) The Hall of Prachao Tanjai
9) The Hall of Prachao Panton
10) The Hall of Phra Gluea or Prachao Dang Dang
11) Pathumvadee Pagoda
12) The Hall of Phra Sai Yas
13) Detention Centre for Krubachao Sriwichai the Buddist Saint of Lanna
14) The Phrathat Replica (The pagoda containing Buddha’s relics)
15) Payap Corner (The Hall of Phra Attaros)
16) The Hall of Phra Kajjai (Lanna Prachao Pum Paya)
17) Issan (North East) Corner. Chiang Yan Pagoda
18) The Hall of Phra Lawo
19) Phrabarommatat Hariphunchai
20) Kang Sadarn Tower
21) Pang Saiyas (The reclining Buddha)
22) Phrachao Thongthip

Editor's Note : Wat Phrathat Hariphunchai is quite unusual as there has been no interruption in its role throughout its long history. Therefore each sacred site within has its own unique story to tell. Lamphun Cultural Council has produced a guide which gives a lot of additional information on each of the 22 sacred sites. It's considered to be unnecessary to reproduce such detail here.