An analytical Study of Temple Building Concept of Tai Yai ethnic in Chiang mai

Abstract

This research aims to 1) study the concept of temple construction in Buddhism and 2) study the construction of temples by the Shan ethnic group in Chiang Mai Province.
The research used qualitative research and in-depth interviews. The results of the study found that the concept of temple construction in Buddhism is to build a temple as a place for Buddhist monks to live, to be a place for religious practice and a center for education, cultural exchange, and to be a center or place for morality, ethics, mental development, and quality of life development for the people. For the construction of temples by the Shan ethnic group in Chiang Mai Province, it was found that the Shan people in the past settled in large groups in Shan State, Myanmar. Later, around the 24th-25th Buddhist century, the border was divided during the colonization by Westerners, causing people to migrate to many countries, especially in the northern part of Thailand. There was migration and movement of Shan groups to many provinces, including Chiang Mai Province. When they gathered in large numbers, the Shan people built temples in the areas where they lived to be centers for the Shan people and to perform Buddhist ceremonies. Shan temples clearly retain their ethnic identity and art forms.