Wat Chedi Luang (Temple of the Big Stupa) is an impressive ruined temple in the center of Chiang Mai, northern Thailand, dating from the 14th and 15th centuries.

King Saen Muang Ma (r.1385-1401) began construction on Wat Chedi Luang in 1391 to hold the ashes of his father, Ku Na. The building was expanded by later kings, reaching its final form in 1475.

It was then given the great honor of housing the Emerald Buddha, the holiest religious object in Thailand (now kept in Wat Pra Kaeo, Bangkok). At this time, Wat Chedi Luang rose to a height of 84m (280 ft.).

A century later, a severe earthquake (1545) toppled part of the great spire. The Emerald Buddha was kept in the chedi for another six years, then moved to Luang Prabang (in present-day Laos) by the king.

Five years later, Chiang Mai fell to the Burmese. The temple was never rebuilt, but even at its post-earthquake height (60m) it remained the tallest structure in Chiang Mai until modern times.

Several viharns were added to the temple complex in subsequent years; the largest viharn was built in 1928.

http://www.sacred-destinations.com/thailand/chiang-mai-wat-chedi-luang