Wat Kiriwong: Nakhon Sawan's Golden Hill and the View Where a River Is Born
Every great river city has a hill, and Nakhon Sawan's is Khao Kiriwong. On its summit, visible from almost everywhere in the city, stands Wat Kiriwong and its golden Phra Chulamani Chedi — the landmark locals navigate by, and the finest viewpoint in the lower north. From the chedi terrace you look down on the whole story of this city at once: the red-brown Ping and the green Nan sliding together at Pak Nam Pho to become the Chao Phraya, the flat lake plain of Bueng Boraphet shining to the east, and the rooftops of the gateway city spread between them. Come at sunset and you will share the terrace with monks, students, joggers and grandmothers — this is Nakhon Sawan's living room in the sky. The Temple on the Hill Wat Kiriwong is a working temple, not a lookout with a chedi attached. The golden Phra Chulamani Chedi crowns the summit in the classic bell form, gilded bright enough to catch fire at golden hour — which is why it appears in almost every photograph of the city, incl...